CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) --
Tony Stewart picked his way through the crowd surrounding a red carpet at Chicagoland Speedway to make his way to the pre-race driver meeting. Dance music blared from two large speakers at the front of the tent, celebrities and other dignitaries sat in special seats and fans craned their necks for a glimpse of NASCAR's stars.
Stewart, always the last driver to arrive, was agitated as he scoured the room looking for his teammates.
''Can we get some more people in here?'' he said to no one in particular. ''I thought we were here to race.''
It's no secret that NASCAR and all its pomp and circumstance have always been the necessary evil in Stewart's storied career. NASCAR money pays his bills, has afforded him a lifestyle he never imagined, allowed him to collect toys such as ownership of race tracks and a sprint car series.
But NASCAR has never been his love.
It's always been his job.
The sideshow that accompanies the 38 races a year? A nuisance.
So it should be no surprise that Stewart is scheduled Wednesday to announce his retirement from Sprint Cup racing at the end of the 2016 season. He will detail his decision to get out of the car, according to a person familiar with Stewart's plans who spoke on condition of anonymity because the three-time NASCAR champion has not publicly discussed his retirement