Tony Stewart admires Peyton Manning for graceful retirement

LAS VEGAS – Tony Stewart is retiring from NASCAR at the end of this season, so he can certainly relate to Peyton Manning’s decision to step away from football.

Given that Stewart is a longtime Indianapolis Colts fan, it made Sunday’s news of the quarterback's impending retirement hit home even more.

“He’s somebody I really admire and look up to and have the utmost respect for,” Stewart said. “I’m glad he’s done all this on his terms. He definitely deserves it 100%.”

Like Manning, Stewart is also battling through injuries in what will be his final season (the three-time NASCAR champ is currently sidelined indefinitely after surgery to repair a broken back). He can only dream of what it would be like to go out as a winner.

Stewart said Manning knowing his career was likely coming to an end made the Denver Broncos’ Super Bowl win all the more special. But what really caught Stewart’s attention, he said, was how Manning deflected the spotlight.

“To be able to win the game like that and have that kind of composure shows what kind of professional he is,” Stewart said. “I think the thing that impresses me the most about him is he probably knew he was going to retire at the end of the season, but to not draw attention to it and to acknowledge they did it all as a group and a team and not make the highlights about him retiring, I think that shows how much class he has.”

Follow Jeff Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck.