Posted on 09/29/2026 7:42:41 AM PDT by WhiteHatBobby0701
Gordon Johncock, whose stirring drive late in the 1982 Indianapolis 500 earned him a second victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” died of natural causes Sept. 28 at his home in South Branch, Michigan. He was 90.
Born Aug. 5, 1936, in Hastings, Michigan, the longtime resident of the state was the INDYCAR SERIES national champion in 1976 and won 25 races in the series. Yet, Johncock was known for winning both memorable and forgettable “500s,” each time driving for Patrick Racing.
Johncock’s duel with Rick Mears in the closing laps of the 1982 race was the most thrilling to that point, prompting renowned television broadcaster Jim McKay to claim he’d “never seen anything like it.” Johncock masterfully covered Mears’ last-lap passing attempt in Turn 1, then outran the 1979 race winner to the finish line. Their margin at the checkered flag was a then-record .16 of a second, still the seventh closest ever.
Johncock later said he was fortunate to win as he hit an unfamiliar bump low in Turn 3 on the last lap that pushed his car up the track and gave Mears an opportunity to gain ground.
“I pretty near lost it,” he told The Indianapolis Star in 2016. “Ask Rick; he saw it (because) he was right there.
“I had never run that low before in Turn 3, but I knew I had to if I was going to be able to stay in the throttle. It was just a little rougher down there than I expected.”
The 1973 “500” was one of tragedy and poor weather, with rain postponing the race two days. Johncock started 11th and grabbed his first lead on Lap 40, but soon after teammate Swede Savage and crew member Armando Teran were involved in separate horrifying accidents.
Johncock, who led 64 laps, was in front of Bill Vukovich II when rain ended the race on Lap 133. With the annual Victory Banquet canceled, Johncock and his Patrick crew “celebrated” with hamburgers at a local Burger Chef restaurant after visiting Savage in the hospital.
Johncock was able to properly celebrate following his 1982 victory, and Mears said he never felt so good finishing second.
“I remember thinking during the race that if we can’t win it would be great to see him win,” Mears said.
Said Johncock of watching replays of the duel with Mears, “It gives you goosebumps … (that) well, I did it again!”
After a successful stint as a sprint car racer, Johncock’s INDYCAR SERIES career began in 1964 with a dirt race in Springfield, Illinois, and it didn’t take him long to show his talent. Johncock finished fifth as a rookie in the 1965 “500” in a roadster, in a race that saw five rookies finish in the top nine. He won for the first time nine races later at the Milwaukee Mile. Johncock also scored the first of his 20 career poles that year.
Johncock started his own team in 1967, joining A.J. Foyt as the sport’s only owner/driver. Johncock won six races during that three-year span.
Johncock nearly won a few more Indianapolis 500s. He finished third in 1976 and 1978, and he was fourth on two other occasions (1966 and 1974). In 1977, Johncock was leading Foyt, the eventual winner, with 16 laps remaining when his car’s crankshaft broke. He had led 129 laps.
Johncock’s career in the INDYCAR SERIES spanned 262 starts over 25 seasons. He actually retired twice, the first during the first week of “500” practice in 1985. He served on the IMS Radio Network for that race. Two years later, he replaced the injured Jim Crawford and finished 22nd.
Johncock’s last “500” was in 1992 after he retired on Lap 60 with engine failure. He finished 29th. His 24 starts in the race ranks fifth among all drivers, tied with Johnny Rutherford and Scott Dixon. Johncock led 339 laps in the Indianapolis 500, which stands 15th all time.
Johncock was one of the last living drivers to have competed in front- and rear-engine Indy cars.
He was successful in stock car racing, too, competing in 21 of NASCAR’s top-division races. He made three starts in the Daytona 500, qualifying fifth in 1973. He had three top-five finishes in NASCAR, highlighted by a fourth in the 1973 Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway. He also won a pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway that season.
After Johncock’s second retirement, he turned his focus to his timber business in South Branch, Michigan, located 200 miles north of Detroit. Johncock enjoyed such a quiet life away from racing that some employees were surprised to learn he had been a race car driver, much less a two-time Indy 500 winner.
Johncock kept most of his racing memorabilia in his basement, although his two winner’s plaques have shared a wall with artwork of the 1982 win, the race’s checkered flag and a stuffed deer head in his living room. He seldom attended the “500” after retiring.
“It was a job I used to have,” Johncock said of racing. “Now I have a different job.”
Johncock was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 1997 and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1999.
Johncock is survived by his wife, Sue; three daughters (Patsy, Pamilee, Peggy), two sons (Gordon Jr., Wally); two stepdaughters (Traci, Valerie); and 12 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
“Gordon Johncock was known for his hard-charging, no-nonsense style of racing, and he left a lasting legacy on both Indianapolis Motor Speedway and INDYCAR. While his 1973 Indianapolis 500 victory was overshadowed by tragedy, that race was an inflection point for safety, leading to a vital shift in track engineering and regulations. Gordon was unable to truly celebrate his first win, so that made his second win in 1982, following a thrilling duel with Rick Mears, all the more memorable. His victory is one of the iconic moments in the history of the Speedway. Remembered as much for his quiet life away from racing, Gordon left a lasting impact on the world of motorsports. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”
-------
Gordon Johncock had lived to FIVE generations of the family at the time of his death. Think about it.
Stepdaughter Valerie Heffelblower is the CEO (and now official owner) of Johncock Forestry Products, which the family has owned since 2009.
Because of the tragic circumstances of the 1973 race, Johncock's official victory banquet for that win was held in April 2023 with surviving crew and family at a diner in Indianapolis. He brought his family -- including his great-grandchildren -- to be part of the bus and Gordon drove the tour bus for one final lap at the Speedway.
He married his wife Sue in 1990. All five of his children came from his first marriage -- Peggy, Patsy, Pamilee, Wally, and Gordon. Valerie Heffelbower and Traci Burnsed are Sue's children.
“that made his second win in 1982, following a thrilling duel with Rick Mears”
I was at that race. My one and only experience watching the Indy 500. I sat at the end of turn one.
I believe he won by less than a half of a car length.
However, the memory I have most from that race was the day/night before. We drove out from WNY and parked across from turn one in a Burger King parking lot for $75. Me, my best friend, his dad and their neighbor. I was 19.
An RV pulled into the parking lot right near us. About six or so young ladies got out. They were traveling with an older lady. We went over and said hello. They invited us in to play cards. After a short period of time my best friends Dad said; Boys lets go!
Later that afternoon/evening there was a line of men to get into that RV.
RIP
I attended this years 500- closest finish in race history...i was in Penthouse A, right across from the Rosenquist pit- one of the best weekends in my life...
I was at the IMS museum on Carb Day and got pictures of both Johncock’s winning cars- 1973 and 1982...
I was 9YO when i watched the 1973 Indianapolis 500 and was like “holy crap- what is this???!!!”
Thanks for sharing that story, i have been to many 500’s. Always had a great time. I have sat in the same area in turn 1 three races.
Back when America was truly great.
“natural causes”. Right. C’mon, admit it. The poor bloke died in a car accident. :)
I have been to a few races at the Magic Mile in Loudon, NH.
One Indy car, a couple NASCAR and a few motorcycle races. Including this past June. Going to see the motorcycle races is pretty cool because there are less than 5K people there. They are spread out and you get to walk all over the infield /garages except the pits. Plus it is the oldest motorcycle race in the USA. Older than Daytona. Tickets are cheap and you park for free right next to the track.
Whereas on NASCAR day there are a 100K people. The wait for the bathroom is 15/20 minutes. It is the biggest one day sporting event in New England.
Indy is a whole other experience. I had never been to a track where you could only see them from turn one to turn two. We could not see the front or back straight. We were about half way up the grandstand right at the exit of turn one.
Back in those days the 500 wasn't carried live. ABC recorded it, edited down to two hours, and showed the edited version at night ("same day coverage"). A few years later they extended the edit to three hours. The race wasn't carried live until 1986, when it was finally run six days after the scheduled date.
Anyway, back in '73 and still in school, so the Indianapolis 500 became for me the "official" kick-off to summer vacation. And summer 1973 was for me a magical and happy time. Somehow deep in my soul Gordon Johncock became a bellwether of a good and happy summer. 1982, the second year Johncock won, was also a wonderful year (though I was out of school by this time). After those two wins I always rooted for Johncock to win.
Of course he never did. And he retired from racing and now he's gone. And of course I am an old man now, and summer doesn't mean what it used to (especially since I'm disabled now and can't enjoy walks in the fields and thickets). Watching the Indy now is bittersweet in the extreme. And though he was never going to race again anyway, losing Gordon Johncock is a symbol that youth is gone, and, as John Mellencamp sang, "life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone."
Farewell old friend.
Those were the days. Too bad everything turned to spec racing in the early 2000s.
Think about it. He remarried in 1990 and Mrs. Johncock’s daughter joined him in developing Johncock Forestry Products. Even in his 70’s he took over a forestry mill and now the widow’s daughter (who ran it) will keep it going. He’s more known now for his forestry mill.
Not a lot of race car drivers make it to 90.
AJ and Rufus did.
Richard Petty is 89.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.