Tony Stewart Reveals Retirement Not In Options, Reflects On His Life After the Fatal Crash

It has been almost two months after three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart's life was rocked by controversy. The racing world was put on the spotlight after Stewart fatally killed a fellow race car driver, Kevin Ward who went out of his vehicle during an on-going race in a Aug. 9 race in upstate New York.

A grand jury has now cleared Stewart of any criminal charges, yet the famed driver is finding it hard to revert to his normal life. During a thirty minute press conference held Stewart-Haas Racing headquarters in New York, Stewart bared that the controversy has taken a heavy toll on his life. He stressed to the public of stop picking sides in an unfortunate incident.

"It's not about picking sides. A young man lost his life. His family is in mourning. My family is in mourning," Stewart said per USA Today.

The 43-year-old bared that quitting racing altogether ran through his head but admitted that "it would have taken the life out of me." During the course of the media coverage, Stewart was able to answer 29 questions but mostly evaded questions about meeting the family though he did say that he wants to be available to Ward's family.

This is the first time that Stewart has faced the media just days after the grand jury cleared him of the fatal crash in Canandaigua Motorsports Park. It is also just less than 24 hours after Ward's aunt, Wendi, released an emotional statement appealing for reconsideration of the decision and questioning the toxicology report done on his nephew. Ward Jr.'s blood work tested positive for marijuana which many believed led to the shelving of any criminal liability to be lodged against Stewart.

Stewart for his part, evaded the marijuana angle of the issue and admitted that still it does not change anything. At the latter part of the press conference, he also imparted that through the experience he wishes to become a better person.