Legendary NASCAR Driver Junior Johnson Passes Away at 88
NASCAR legend Robert Glenn “Junior” Johnson has died at the age of 88. The news of Johnson’s death was announced via a tweet from NASCAR. Johnson was a pioneer of the sport, winning 50 races as a driver and six championships as an owner across his Hall of Fame career. Johnson was a member of the very first class inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
“This is a big, big deal to me,” Johnson said during his induction. “This is probably the greatest thing that’s happened to me, you know. I was really proud of the pardon that Reagan gave me, but this is …
“You know, I’m almost speechless to even think that you could talk about, ‘Well, I just went into the Hall of Fame.’ It’s so big, and it’s so honorable that you just don’t know how it feels to be selected as one of the first five people.”
“Junior Johnson truly was the ‘Last American Hero, ” NASCAR chairman and CEO Jim France said in a statement. “From his early days running moonshine through the end of his life, Junior wholly embodied the NASCAR spirit. He was an inaugural NASCAR Hall of Famer, a nod to an extraordinary career as both a driver and team owner. Between his on-track accomplishments and his introduction of Winston to the sport, few have contributed to the success of NASCAR as Junior has. The entire NASCAR family is saddened by the loss of a true giant of our sport, and we offer our deepest condolences to Junior’s family and friends during this difficult time.”
Heaven just got a little faster. Outlaw, legend, pioneer, Hall of Famer –Junior Johnson was all of these, and he will be missed.