The toll of the past two seasons may finally have been too much for Tony Stewart to rekindle his burning desire to compete the way he once did.
The three-time Sprint Cup champion will announce his retirement after the 2016 season on Wednesday, Motorsport.com is reporting.
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"Tony Stewart has decided the 2016 season will be his last as a full-time driver in the Sprint Cup Series, multiple sources familiar with his decision have confirmed to Motorsport.com," the site reported.
The sources also told Motorsport.com that Clint Bowyer, who will sever ties with Michael Waltrip Racing at the end of the 2015 season, has been tabbed as Stewart's successor in 2017.
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Stewart's public relations representatives declined comment to Motorsport.com.
"Smoke" is tied for 13th in NASCAR Cup races with Herb Thomas at 48. He has an IndyCar Series title to go along with his three Cup championships, the last of which came in 2011.
But Stewart has gone winless since a June 2, 2013 victory at Dover. Stewart was involved in a horrific crash in sprint car, dirt-track race in August of 2013 in Iowa, breaking his right leg. He has had four surgeries on the leg since and missed the rest of the 2013 season.
In August of 2014, Stewart was involved in the tragic death of Kevin Ward Jr., in a dirt-track race in New York. Ward crashed and blamed Stewart. The 20-year-old Ward got out of his car and walked toward Stewart's car as he approached on the ensuing lap.
Ward got too close and Stewart clipped him with his right rear tire, sending Ward airborne several feet. The impact with the pavement killed Ward.
A New York grand jury cleared Stewart of any wrongdoing, but Ward's family has filed a wrongful death suit against Stewart that is ongoing.
Stewart said those incidents have had a profound effect on him.
"I don't think I'll ever be the same from what happened the last two years," Stewart said during an appearance at Texas Motor Speedway this summer. "I don't know how you could be, I don't know how anybody ever could be back to exactly the way they were.
"But not being back exactly the same that I was doesn't mean that I haven't become better in some way. I think there's always positives that come out of every scenario."
Stewart is 26th in the points standings in 2015 and does not have a top-five finish this year.
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