Tony Stewart Retirement: Driver Thinking Of Retiring After Kevin Ward Jr. Death

Getty/Courtesy of Facebook

Will Tony Stewart quit car racing after his 20-plus year career? That could absolutely happen, an inside source reveals EXCLUSIVELY to HollywoodLife.com.

Will Tony Stewart, 43, retire? The racing star has remained in seclusion after accidentally killing driver Kevin Ward Jr., 20, in a tragic accident on Aug. 9. But now HollywoodLife.com has EXCLUSIVELY learned that he is seriously contemplating quitting his sport.

Tony Stewart Retirement: NASCAR Driver Thinking About Ending Racing Career

“He has already been talked out of ending his career on a couple of occasions,” a source told HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. “He has been going back and forth with just ending everything but currently has been talked into just canceling select races and trying to work out his mental state.”

HollywoodLife.com has also learned that Tony is currently taking things “day by day” and he could eventually decide that he won’t return to racing. Tony has been under the radar since accidentally hitting and killing Kevin at Canandaigua Motorsports Park.

“He is really going through a lot and not sure when he will return to race,” the source revealed. “It is a day by day decision that could still end in never returning.”

Tony has canceled two Sprint Cup races since the accident. The NASCAR champion has also announced he will not race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 23, USA Today reports.

The world was stunned to watch Tony hit and kill Kevin after the young driver stepped out of his car at Canandaigua Motorsports Park. The first graphic video showed the terrifying sequence of events and a second video is currently under investigation.

Tony Stewart: NASCAR Driver ‘Grieving’ After Tragic Accident

One day after the accident, Tony made an emotional statement to Kevin’s family. He sent his condolences and prayers to the grieving family and announced he would not race at Watkins Glen on Aug. 10.

We recently learned how Tony was feeling right after the accident. “It’s been an emotional week for him [Tony],’’ Brett Frood, executive vice president at Stewart-Haas Racing, said in a news conference on Aug. 15, according to the Boston Globe.

“He’s [Tony] grieving,’’ Brett continued. “Any time someone is lost, especially at a racetrack, it’s tragic. It was a tragic accident, and he’s dealing with quite a bit of grief.’’

Kevin’s family held a funeral for the young driver on Aug. 14. His family members have also paid tribute to the fallen racer on Facebook in family photos.

Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to Kevin’s family and friends during this time.

HollywoodLifers, do you think Tony Stewart should retire after the tragic death of Kevin Ward Jr? Let us know!

— Written by Avery Thompson, Reporting by Russ Weakland