Tony Stewart still treasures an iconic souvenir from Jimmie Johnson’s 2016 NASCAR championship season
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Jimmie Johnson’s won his 7th and last NASCAR cup title in 2016 with the No:48 HMs team. He produced one of his iconic performances that season and came out victorious in the season finale, starting the race at the rear. The race marked his final championship four appearances. He failed to score wins after the 2017 season and was never able to put up a fight for a record 8th cup title.
Every memorabilia from Johnson’s 2016 season is special for the fans. More than just a record championship, it represents the man’s legacy. Johnson’s close friend and SHR legend Tony Stewart holds the most significant souvenir of them all, the helmet the No:48 driver used in the finale. It was given to him by Johnson in Miami.
Stewart keeps the helmet as it is on loan and is ready to give it back whenever he wants. He told RACER, “I still tell Jimmie, I view that helmet that it’s on loan from him, and I’ve always told him, ‘That helmet will never go anywhere.’ If there’s a day when he decides he wants it back, I’ll hand deliver it to him personally,”.
Tony Stewart understands the value of the helmet, but he cherishes it more because it is a personal gift. He said, “That’s a significant helmet in the history of this sport, and that’s something I cherish. Its value of it isn’t because of what it is. It’s because of whom it came from and because it was a personal gift from him,”.
For the SHR co-owner, Johnson is one of his true friends. He said, “He’s just somebody that I think a lot of, and it’s not only for what he’s done inside the race but outside the race car as well. He’s just a genuinely good person and somebody that I have a lot of admiration and respect for — and somebody that I feel is a true friend,”.
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Tony Stewart on Jimmie Johnson’s dominance
Stewart talking about Johnson’s NASCAR dominance pointed out that JJ could always run upfront in races if given the right tools. He added that Jimmie Johnson’s consistency has much to do with his focus and hard work.
“If you gave him the tools and a car that could run up front, you could bet your ass he would run up front. There was no doubt about it. I never saw him have an off day on the racetrack. He was just that focused and that much of a machine when it came to getting inside the race car and doing his job week in and week out,” Tony Stewart said.
He also pointed out that Jimmie Johnson had solid backing from the No:48 team to dominate on the track. He said, “They were the benchmark because they were so consistent. It didn’t matter what car, or format, they figured out the best way to win, and that’s just how solid they were. The organization, the team, and their approach. Everything was that solid during his reign,”.
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