Tony Stewart’s Surprising Pick for the Most Cherished Trophy From His Racing Career

Tony Stewart has won 49 races in NASCAR’s premier tier over his esteemed career, which means he has more trophies at home than most in the sport. He has also collected numerous accolades in IndyCar, USAC, and dirt racing. But of all the awards he has earned, there is one particular trophy he admires more than the rest. It’s not just because of its prestige, but also because of its impeccable design.

During an appearance on the Rubbin is Racing podcast earlier this year, Stewart was asked which of the trophies he has won is his favorite. He replied, “It’s the one that Goodyear does for the Cup champion each year. They do a gold car, and I think it’s 18th scale. It’s a replica of your car. So, it’s gold-plated, and your number and your sponsor logos are all etched in it.”

What’s impressive about this replica is that even the personal gauge cluster of each driver is exactly remodeled in it. Stewart had specially made ignition switches and starters with extensions on his car, and to his surprise, they were on the golden trophy as well. The extreme attention to detail has him completely hooked to this date.

The one other trophy that Stewart thinks could compete with it is the Borg-Warner trophy that winners of the Indianapolis 500 get. He  added, “Don’t have one of those yet. I’m not going to have one because I probably won’t ever race the new 500 again. But I think it’s a cooler trophy than that.”

Stewart went on to state that the three Goodyear cars he got, one for each of his championships, are the coolest trophies in motorsports.

What other trophies does Stewart have?

Stewart received the Astor Challenge Cup, a sterling silver trophy, for winning the 1997 IndyCar Series championship. For winning the Brickyard 400 in 2005 and 2007, he received trophies featuring an iconic silver brick, which is a replica of an original Indianapolis Motor Speedway brick.

Apart from these, from Martinsville’s Grandfather clock to New Hampshire’s “Loudon the Lobster,” the man has won it all. A key miss in his cabinet is the Harley J. Earl trophy that winners of the Daytona 500 get. The golden car trophy that he spoke about in total admiration is made of 24-karat gold. It has been awarded by Goodyear since 1985.