“Tony made sure that wherever that car would be on display, that my name will be shown with the car. The car is going straight to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum as part of a special AJ Foyt display for the month of May leading up to the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500. With the Nemire family grinning, looking on, Stewart kibitzed with Foyt on the phone while giving the auto racing legend a video pictorial of the car he was about to take ownership of. Tony said, ‘hang up, and I’m going to call you right back…just answer the phone when I call.’ “ He asked Foyt if he knew how to use Facetime. Tony calls Foyt when he was sitting in the car. It didn’t take long for Stewart to climb in. Then the party went from the shop back outside to where No. I was rookie of the race in that car at the Hoosier 100 in 1981.” That’s the same upholstery that AJ sat in back in 1974. “That car’s all original…the bumpers, the upholstery, most everything. And of course, the conversation, as you might expect, turned back toward ole No. With the best pizza in town on the way for their special guest, the five-minute conversation stretched into five hours. Then a call went out to Inky’s Pizza, a Toledo tradition dating back to the 1940s. ‘My pilot can just wait.’ “Īnd so it went between two great men with so much in common, with so much admiration for the other. “I finally asked him…how much more time do you have? ‘I got as long as you want to talk,’ answered Stewart. Just five minutes with the man already meant the world to him. After all, he knew he was there to pick up the car and carry it back to Indiana. Nemire knew better than to even try to monopolize Stewart’s time. We laughed about other drivers…I’m still in awe.” We sat there and listened to each other tell stories…he was so attentive to me. They way he carried himself yesterday, you’d think we’d known each other all our lives. “I know Tony…he knows me, but we never knew each other all that well. Stewart’s path with Nemire crossed several times over the years, competing together in USAC Sprint and Silver Crown competition. Tony told me his dad was coming and that he couldn’t make it.” Kenny arranged everything with Tony…I had no idea. They cleaned the car all up and got it all ready. “I don’t know how to explain what this day meant to me. “The whole day was so emotional,” Nemire said. Nemire was overcome with emotion and couldn’t say anything. “You could have at least cleaned the shop,” he joked. “You didn’t think I would have missed this?” said Stewart, who leaned over and down to hug Nemire. ![]() They spun him around, and there he was…Tony Stewart, with a big fat smile, stepped out to greet him. ![]() Once inside, he was assisted into his wheel chair. “It took me the longest ever to get to the garage…I was so weak,” said Nemire. Left: NASCAR champion Tony Stewart surprises fellow race driver Jerry Nemire, right. If there could be any solace in the matter, at least the car was going to someone who genuinely cared about its future.Īt any rate, Nemire, with the aid of two men at his side, slowly made his way out to his shop, just behind his home in Erie, Michigan, just a mile north (if that) of the Toledo, Ohio border, and completely unaware of who was waiting inside. ![]() It’s also widely known that Stewart’s hero is Foyt. Nemire had received a text from Tony Stewart earlier in the week letting him know how much he appreciated the opportunity to buy the treasured piece and how sorry he was that he couldn’t be there when Nelson came to take the car away. Nemire also drove the car in Silver Crown competition, and is responsible for restoring it to its present day grandeur. The car had been especially built for Foyt by renowned open-wheel craftsman Grant King. He also knew that Tony Stewart’s dad Nelson was on his way to pick up (and take away) his pride and joy - the beautifully-restored bright orange No. Monday morning didn’t start out all that good for him. Longtime ARCA/USAC competitor, winner, champion Jerry Nemire has been fighting cancer for the better part of 15 years. By Don Radebaugh - I’m not sure if you can uncover more emotion from a human life in one afternoon, but the Nemire racing family got just about as close as you can get.
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