Junior Johnson

[JHamilton]

I'm extremely saddened to hear that the Last American Hero, Junior Johnson, passed away to day at the age of 88. Damn.

https://www.nascar.com/news-media/20...00000009720487

I'll have much more to add about Junior later...

[hoffman66]

That is indeed a big loss, a fierce man of few words and the man about which so much of NASCAR is based!

[fieldodreams79]

I have much more to say, but for now, this one's for you, Junior!

[broadrun96]

Should have seen this when I was still out, the local shops have his "shine" and most have his country ham.

Never ran a full season but 50 wins, brought RJR (Winston) to Nascar, very successful team owner with multiple championships and all time great drivers and made a DAMN good country ham

[JHamilton]

Junior Johnson was a big figure in my family as he was my grandfather's favorite. I remember him saying once, "Junior builds 'em to run, not last!". That was the truth too; He either won or blew up. Maybe not always legally.

There are books, documentaries, and even movies based on Junior if you're interested. And I encourage you to look into him if you like racing history, whiskey, bootlegging, and interesting characters. My favorite aspect of him is that, although you wouldn't know it by hearing him speak, he was truly a master mechanic and engineer. He proves that ingenuity + trial & error + hard work = BS of Mechanical Engineering.

I saw this great video that is actually centered around Tom Wolfe after Mr. Wolfe passed away last year, but it gives a great overview of the legend and how he got his nickname.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSW3WBoEkWc

But I know Junior as a team Owner! As broadrun alluded to, for nearly two decades, Junior Johnson & Associates was The Team you wanted to drive for. That included:

Bobby Isaac
Darel Dieringer
A. J. Foyt
Fred Lorenzen
LeeRoy Yarbrough
Cale Yarborough
Bobby Allison
Darrell Waltrip
Neil Bonnett
Terry Labonte
Geoff Bodine
Bill Elliott



Junior: "Cale, pit next time."
Darrell Waltrip: "My name is not Cale!"
Junior: "10-4. Pit next time, Cale."

Rest in peace, Junior Johnson.

[fieldodreams79]

He was my dad's favorite, along with AJ and Richard Petty.

Pit Reporter - "What did you tell you driver before the race, Junior?"

Junior - "Go to the front."

\

https://youtu.be/r9emPFYvPbI

"Hey, Cale! You need to get out...."

[fieldodreams79]

I will say this separately, that the only thing negative I can say about the man was how things ended with him and Awesome Bill. That was a raw deal for Elliott that perhaps cost Bill some wins / championships, but the man's desires and his true talents are undeniable. I think about him and "Gentlemen" Ned Jarrett similarly, as they both retired before their driving talent wore out.