Elliott Sadler, who has competed full time at the NASCAR national series level since 1997, will not return to full-time racing in 2019.
The 43-year-old JR Motorsports driver announced his decision Wednesday on social media.
"It's time for me, as a Dad, to help my kids pursue their dreams," Sadler wrote. "Wyatt is 8 and Austyn is 6 and both of them are very active at school and in extracurricular activities.
"I want to be with them for all their special moments. ... It's time for me to be the full-time Dad that I want to be."
After much consideration and many conversations with my family, I've decided this will be my last season racing full time in NASCAR. (Full Statement: https://t.co/iLQnNG215o) pic.twitter.com/cKEclUt55F
— Elliott Sadler (@Elliott_Sadler) August 15, 2018
Speaking to the media Thursday, Sadler said he has left the door open to run select races at JR Motorsports next year but has declined offers from other teams at the moment.
"They have been so good to me, I'm not turning my back on them," Sadler said. "Right now, I'm here just in case they need me. I hope they don't need me. ... I'm not really taking any offers from anywhere else to go do anything else.
"I've got a great situation right now with good people, and if I had to leave on this kind of note, a high note, I'd rather do it with good friends of mine than trying to go do something else."
Sadler is second in the NASCAR Xfinity Series standings; he has finished second in the Xfinity standings four times in the past seven years. He has 13 wins in the series in 383 career starts.
His top sponsor, OneMain Financial, already had said it would not return in the same capacity next season, meaning if Sadler wanted to continue racing, he would have had to land new sponsorship while in the twilight of his career.
Sadler spent 12 full-time seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series for Wood Brothers Racing, Robert Yates Racing, Evernham Motorsports and Richard Petty Motorsports. He has three wins in 438 career starts.