You would expect race car drivers to collect wins, but helmets?

Tony Schumacher is a helmet collector and so, it appears, is another Tony. Tony Stewart. When Stewart visited the Army drag racing team at the recent US Nationals, it wasn't just a quick in and out deal to fill a sponsor obligation. Stewart came to learn, enjoy and to collect another helmet.

As a fellow collector, Schumacher doesn't just give away helmets. He trades for them. So it was, when Stewart departed Indy with the helmet Schumacher wore while winning his record tieing 8th Top Fuel US Nationals, Schumacher found himself in possession of the helmet Stewart wore when he clinched his spot in NASCAR's Chase for the Championship.

You would expect race car drivers to collect wins, but helmets?

Tony Schumacher is a helmet collector and so, it appears, is another Tony. Tony Stewart. When Stewart visited the Army drag racing team at the recent US Nationals, it wasn't just a quick in and out deal to fill a sponsor obligation. Stewart came to learn, enjoy and to collect another helmet.

As a fellow collector, Schumacher doesn't just give away helmets. He trades for them. So it was, when Stewart departed Indy with the helmet Schumacher wore while winning his record tieing 8th Top Fuel US Nationals, Schumacher found himself in possession of the helmet Stewart wore when he clinched his spot in NASCAR's Chase for the Championship.

Stewart's helmet was still in Schumacher's hauler which was parked in the pits at zMAX Dragway.

“Actually I still have it right here,” claimed Schumacher. “Tony (Stewart) said I don’t sell helmets but I’ll trade you. He wore his at the last race which locked him into the top spot and I wore mine that I won Indy in. I have some cool helmets; I have Eric Medlen’s at home.”

Schumacher has been collecting helmets for awhile, “since the beginning of time” he says. But, he is particular about what he is looking for in a helmet.

“I don’t want a fake helmet either, there’s no reason to have a cool paint job. I can buy a cool paint job. It’s cool to have one that the racer actually wore and won a race in or set a record in. It’s just unique, it’s a neat thing to have a piece of history sitting up on your shelf.”

Real helmets, according to Schumacher, have the smell of competition in them. The sweat, the blood, the effort that it takes to win permeates “real” helmets.

However when Stewart handed over his helmet in trades, Schumacher jokingly asked about the history of the helmet.

“I told Tony Stewart that if it smells like the Burger King Whopper I’m giving it back or whatever you see him eating on TV. It’s just fun and it’s nice to have a collection. I’m sure I don’t have nearly the collection that he’s got. But now we know that he’s going to have the US Army US Nationals winning helmet and that’s pretty awesome for him, good collection.”

Schumacher, who admits most of the helmets in his collection belong to him, those to do not are extremely special.

“Most of them are mine,” Schumacher said. “I’ve collected mine the whole time. I still have (Eric) Medlen’s, which at some point in time I’m going to give to John Medlen. I’ve wanted to do that for some time but I haven’t had the chance to.

After we lost Eric, a lot of people gave him helmets and I was going to be the one to do it because the helmet I bought I bid against John Force for, when we had a charity event at Pomona for Darrell Russell. I bid on it. My wife actually bought that one. I just think it doesn’t belong anywhere but sitting on John's shelf. It's a good helmet. It was done just for Darrell Russell and with the crazy turn of events I’d like to give it to (Medlen).”
 

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