Daytona 500: Jimmie Johnson's Sleek New Helmet Design Amid Retirement Sparks Social Media

NASCAR veteran Jimmie Johnson is walking away from the role of a full-time driver at the end of [...]

By John Newby

NASCAR veteran Jimmie Johnson is walking away from the role of a full-time driver at the end of the 2020 season. He will finish his career as one of the most decorated drivers in the history of the sport, and he is acknowledging that fact with his new helmet. Ahead of his final season, Johnson debuted a sleek, new helmet that pays tribute to his previous championships.

Johnson posted photos of the new headgear, showing off a mostly black design with yellow and purple accents. These are the colors of his primary sponsor, Ally. The back of the helmet lists the record-tying seven Cup Series Championships, including the five consecutive victories between 2006-2010.

With the Daytona 500 taking place on Monday after a postponement, the fans are getting to see the debut of the helmet. It turns out that they are big fans of the design.

The fans reacted to the new look by dropping comments about how the helmet is downright amazing. Others asked if they could get a miniature version of their own that could be used as a decoration at home or at the office.

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As many fans pointed out on Twitter, there is still room on the back of the helmet. Yes, the seven Cup Series Championships take up considerable space, but they are ready to see even more numbers added to the design.

These fans are hoping that Johnson will win his eighth Cup Series Championship during the 2020 season. This would give him the all-time record and move him past both Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.

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One of the common themes among NASCAR drivers is that their car and helmet designs change with each passing year. Some causes for the alterations are new sponsorship deals while others are simply the need for a bold, new look.

In Johnson's case, the new design was an excuse to freshen up the helmet for one final run. Ally Financial Inc. has been his primary sponsor since October 2018, so this isn't a situation where he needs to change the look to fit the new company's colors into the scheme.

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Will Jimmie Johnson take care of business and secure the record-setting eighth Cup Series title of his long career? The fans are certainly hoping to see this happen. They believe that Johnson is one of the sport's all-time greats and want him to have the record.

If these victories take place during the 2020 season, the fans believe that the helmet will only make them that much better. They think that sleek, new design is perfect for leading the pack on race day.

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Merchandise is king, whether the sport is the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, or NASCAR. Fans love to rep their favorite franchise or driver, and they are willing to spend a considerable amount of money for this opportunity.

Once Johnson unveiled his new helmet, the fans saw another must-have item. They needed a replica of this black, yellow, and purple design for their collection. The size doesn't matter.

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While there were certainly many Johnson fans hoping to purchase a replica of the iconic helmet for their desk or bookcase, others had a different idea. They knew that this piece of merchandise may not be the most affordable item to add to the collection. Instead, they wanted a different way to rep their favorite driver.

One potential option for these more budget-conscious fans is to take photos of the helmet and stylize them just a bit. The images could then be cropped to the proper size in order to be used as the wallpaper on an iPhone or Android phone.

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The fans had different ideas for what to do with the new helmet, but there was one overwhelming comment. The fans thought that this was a lean, mean design that would inspire fear among opposing drivers.

"I love that helmet design! Lookin good for the 2020 season!" another fan commented on Twitter. Others chimed in to explain that the look was just sleek and perfect for the upcoming season of racing.

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In the eyes of the NASCAR fans, this new helmet design added about 30 coolness points to Johnson's list of attributes. They believed that victories would be more frequent in number as the season progresses. After all, it's hard to argue with the black, yellow, and purple piece of headgear.

Winning another Cup Series in 2020 is not guaranteed for Johnson, but the fans believe that it is far more likely at this point. They are waiting to see him celebrating in victory lane after the Daytona 500 and many other races.

(Photo Credit: David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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