"He had that much ability": When Tony Stewart made a big Jimmie Johnson-Dale Earnhardt Sr. claim 

In an interview in 2022, Tony Stewart shared his honest opinions on Jimmie Johnson. The two NASCAR Hall of Famers competed against each other from 2001 until the mid-2010s when Stewart decided to retire.

While Stewart retired as a 3x Cup champion with 49 wins, 16th most of all time, Johnson retired as a 7x Cup champion with 83 wins, 6th on the all-time list. The former HMS driver won as many championships as Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Richard Petty. And at one point in his career, Johnson won 5 Cup titles in a row, from 2006 to 2010.

Interestingly, Jimmie Johnson's numbers and having competed against him on the track for years convinced Tony Stewart that even someone as intimidating and legendary as Dale Sr., wouldn't have been able to shake off the #48 driver (as quoted by Racer.com):

"If Dale (Earnhardt) Sr. was around during his era of championships, he would not have been able to rattle Jimmie Johnson. He just wouldn’t. Jimmie is just that solid. He had that much confidence, he had that much ability, and it wasn’t that he did anything special that others didn’t do, he just did it consistently over and over. Every week he could do it," Stewart said.

Tony Stewart mentioned that if Johnson was handed the right setup and the car to compete up front, he would only run up front without any doubt. The former SHR driver said he never saw Johnson experience 'an off day' at the racetrack because of his focus and flawless racecraft.

Speaking about the #48 team, the other half of which was Johnson's crew chief, Chad Knaus, Tony Stewart said they were 'the benchmark.' The former #14 driver claimed that regardless of the car or format, the #48 team figured out a way to win, which highlighted their strength during their prime years.

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Tony Stewart opened up on Jimmie Johnson's 'genuine' personality outside the racecar

While Tony Stewart was perceived as an outspoken driver in NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson was the opposite. The 3x Cup champion claimed that Johnson is someone he held in high regard, and not just because of the latter's achievements in stock car racing.

Mentioning how he'd always tell Jimmie that he looked up to him and idolized him, Stewart said (via the aforementioned source):

"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," Stewart said of Johnson.

Furthermore, Stewart also brushed on the widely held perception of the #48 team being this 'well-oiled' flawless machine, which wasn't true. There were times when Johnson had to work through the rough edges and improve them to get the most out of the car in several races.