Johnson, Junior (1931-2019), was one of the most important figures in the history of American stock car racing. Stock cars are sedans that have been modified to increase their speed and power. Johnson was successful as both a NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) driver and as a car owner. NASCAR is the organization that governs the most popular form of stock car automobile racing in the United States.
Johnson began his NASCAR driving career in 1953. He won his first race in 1955. Johnson won 50 races before retiring in 1966. From 1953 to 1995, he led Junior Johnson & Associates, a company that sponsored cars in the annual NASCAR championship series. Johnson’s company employed such famous NASCAR drivers as Geoffrey Bodine, Neil Bonnett, Bill Elliot, Terry Labonte, Darrell Waltrip , and Cale Yarborough . Johnson’s cars won six NASCAR championships.
Robert Glenn Johnson, Jr., was born on June 28, 1931, in Wilkes County, North Carolina. He was better known as “Junior” throughout his life. His family supported itself for generations by making and selling moonshine (illegal liquor). In 1956, Johnson was convicted of manufacturing moonshine and served 11 months in a federal prison. President Ronald Reagan granted him a presidential pardon in 1986.
In 1965, the American author Tom Wolfe published a profile of Johnson in Esquire magazine called “The Last American Hero is Junior Johnson. Yes!” The popularity of the article spread Johnson’s fame beyond automobile racing fans. A 1973 motion picture called The Last American Hero was based on Johnson’s life, with Johnson serving as technical advisor. Johnson was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 1973, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990, and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1991. He was one of the first five inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame that opened in 2010. Johnson died on Dec. 20, 2019.
