HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- His race team built him a car fitting for the baddest man on wheels. Tony Stewart will take his final NASCAR ride in a tribute Chevrolet signed by every team member, the hood emblazoned with photos from his championship years and the slogan, Always a Racer, Forever a Champion.His helmet? Well, that was something special. Its a weathered throwback that looks as if it has been hanging in a barn on his Indiana farm for decades.It appeared rusted, said Smoke. Unlimited Speed, and was a gritty symbol of one of the last true racers.Stewart will retire from NASCAR competition Sunday after nearly two decades on the hamster wheel. His years were spent winning races, battling authority and speaking his mind, even when the topic was unpopular, and when no one else had the guts.Hes brash, boorish and a beast in a race car.I dont know that weve ever really had someone like him come into this series, said four-time champion Jeff Gordon, himself a recent retiree.And thats partly why hes leaving. Hes 45 and his heart has never been fully into NASCAR. This series pays the bills and gives him the resources for his passion. Racing on the dirt or on weeknights at the grassroots level.Stewart owns race tracks, teams, a sprint car series and hes part-owner of NASCARs elite Stewart-Haas Racing. So hes not really going anywhere, really. Hell be at NASCAR events on behalf of SHR and its driver lineup and sponsors.The rest of the time? Hell be racing.Stewart has big ideas of racing all over the country next year at the tracks where he feels most at home. Thats where he came from, and hes always longed to return.His love of sprint cars possibly accelerated his retirement and played heavily into a long string of personal tragedies. Friends Jason Leffler and Bryan Clauson died in accidents, Stewart badly broke his leg in a 2013 crash, his car struck and killed a competitor that had walked onto the racing surface to confront him. The family of Kevin Ward Jr. has filed a civil suit against Stewart that is pending.Those closest to Stewart know what an emotional toll the last several years have taken on him, and they understand his desire to finally just be able to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants to do it. In the month after Wards death, Stewart said hed probably never race a sprint car again.Now, hes lining up as many events as he can.He did not want a retirement tour, and he did not want every week to turn into a celebration of the driver most relatable to fans for his blue collar upbringing and his tendencies like an old A.J. Foyt or Dale Earnhardt Sr.His resume is stacked, three NASCAR championships and one IndyCar title. But it also has two glaring holes: Stewart never won the Daytona 500 or his beloved Indianapolis 500. Earlier this week, the winningest car owner ever at Indy said his biggest regret is that Stewart never drove for Roger Penske in the 500.He brought such emotion and class to the sport and competitiveness, Penske said.That fiery side has led to dustups on and off the track. Hes never backed down from a confrontation, and his acid-tongue and sharp wit make it impossible for anyone to win an argument.If Tony hasnt come after you, then youre not doing something right, said one-time teammate Kyle Busch.Stewart has taken great steps to make this final weekend as low-key as possible. He did one news conference and turned down all interview requests, even to those he never declines.Maybe its a defense mechanism, to take as much emotion as possible out of these last few days. But hes clearly reflected on his time, and knows who he is and whats ahead.Its been a fun 18 years. Not every part of it has been fun. Ive always said what was on my mind whether it was popular or unpopular. I always fought for what I believed in, whether it was safety for other drivers or something etiquette that was going on on the race track or whatever. I can sleep alright knowing that is why I did it.It wasnt because I was trying to be a jerk or something like that, I just always spoke my mind and fought for what I believed in.Hes not another Foyt or Earnhardt or Allison. Tony Stewart is simply Tony Stewart. Lance Stephenson Lakers Jersey . -- Jaye Marie Green shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday to increase her lead to five strokes after the second round of the LPGA Tours qualifying tournament. James Worthy Jersey . It was Kerbers third final of the year after losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in Monterrey in April and to Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in Tokyo two weeks ago. The 10th-ranked German improved her record in finals to 3-5. http://www.lakersbasketballshop.com/Anthony-Davis-Jersey/ . Jason Zucker and Matt Cooke also scored for Minnesota, which has won five of six. Kuemper made five saves in the first, nine in the second, and nine in the third. The rookies best save came with 2:17 left in the third period when he denied former Wild forward Matt Cullen from just outside of the crease on the right side. Kurt Rambis Jersey . Ashley Youngs cross was inadvertently headed by Chester into his own net in the 66th minute, allowing United to claim a third straight league win. "We had to dig deep with our fighting spirit and weve done that," United striker Wayne Rooney said. Nick Van Exel Lakers Jersey .Y. -- Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had little trouble picking up his first shutout of the season against a Buffalo Sabres team thats having trouble scoring goals. New York City FC, Major League Soccers most explosive team, will look to extend their lead in the Eastern Conference when they meet the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro on Saturday.New York City (12-8-8) leads the league with 48 goals and holds a narrow lead over the Red Bulls and Toronto FC in the Eastern Conference with 44 points, one point ahead of the aforementioned clubs.The NYCFC attack is spurred by forward David Villa (17 goals) and midfielder Frank Lampard (11g), the reigning MLS Player of the Week.New England had a really good result the last game, NYCFC coach Patrick Vieira said. They changed the way they played. I think they have more confidence when we played them early in the season.New England (7-12-9) is in eighth place in the conference with 30 points, four points behind Orlando City FC foor the sixth and final playoff spot in the conference.dddddddddddd Last Saturday, the Revolution earned their first victory since July 23, knocking off Colorado, 2-0.New England has a goal differential of minus-16, the worst in MLS. But they will receive a boost on Saturday with the return of striker Kei Kamara, who was playing in the African Cup of Nations qualifying with Sierra Leone.The result didnt come out the way we want it to be, Kamara told the Boston Globe. But just to be part of history like that, playing against (Ivory Coast), I was just happy to be part of it.Right now, Im just really trying to feed off the energy that the guys had last weekend and hopefully continue to build from that. ' ' '