Tony Stewart Retirement Story is an Internet Hoax

A story reporting that NASCAR driver Tony Stewart will retire from racing in the wake of last week's fatal accident involving fellow driver Kevin Ward, Jr. is a hoax.

The story, which originated on the website Empirenews.net said in part,

'NASCAR Insiders Rusty Wallace and Darrell Waltrip have informed the Associated Press that three-time Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart will hold a press conference in the coming days, and is expected to announce his retirement from all auto racing activities, as well as announcing the sale of his half of his ownership of Stewart-Haas Racing. The announcement comes after Stewart tragically struck and killed fellow sprint car driver Kevin Ward, Jr.'

Stewart, while repeatedly expressing regret, sadness and grief over Ward's death, has not made any comment about retirement, nor pinpointed a date to mark his return to the NASCAR schedule.