Posted on 12/20/2019 2:56:39 PM PST by rdl6989
Junior Johnson, a stock-car racing giant whose career spanned the sport’s history from its moonshining roots to its modern era as a fierce, hard-nosed driver and an innovative mechanic and team owner, has died. He was 88.
Johnson’s passing was confirmed by the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He had been in declining health and entered hospice care earlier this week.
(Excerpt) Read more at nascar.com ...
I had a neighbor (Country Neighbor) in the early 60s who made moonshine. This was in the Florida Panhandle.
Their still was inside a cave with a tiny spring in it. I don’t think they were ever caught. Actually, I don’t think he even sold it.
That’s impressive!
I still handle the back-up power at the HOF building.
They have some neat stuff in the basement going back to 1949.
That song that twister played has Kingston Pike and Bearden mentioned. What a hoot!
We up here in Ashe County, NC (Junior’s former stomping grounds and his moonshine supply route) are mourning the loss of one of our patron saints.
“When he’s been there 19,000 years...”
He will still be turning left
If I remember correctly, Junior Johnson said that the fastest car he ever drove was the machine he used to outrun the revenooers! ;-)
I know...I used to think of that song every time I drove down Kingston Pike...Also mentions Maynardville....
Now that’s when drivers were drivers. Not kids playing video games.
You could tell the make of the race car without having to look for the decal on the front...
Cars today are all “cookie cutter” cars...
May Junior Johnson R.I.P., eternally.
He was once, long ago, very nice to & patient with this (back then) hillbilly college-boy from Camp County, Texas.
Yours, TMN78247
GREAT article* about a true legend. What a life! Thanks for posting!
*I’m only an occasional racing fan, and that article prompted me to create a new folder in my “Favorites” for Auto Racing. ;-)
Prayers for, and condolences to, Junior Johnson’s family and friends.
RIP.
Isn’t it 321 from 77 to Wilkesboro the Junior Johnson HWY?
They were bootleggers. The moonshiners made the stuff for them to transport and make the deals.
Pardoned by Ronald Reagan. As a condition of his pardon, he could never be on the premises of any spiritous liquor manufacture.
But.. his name and likeness is on a rather fine heavy duty real product (and his family recipe)-— Cat Daddy, special run.
And, another with his likeness: Midnight Moon.
From Piedmont Distillers, Madison, NC
RIP to the one and only 1965 Rebel 300 Winner, and first Firestone product endorser sponsor in NASCAR.
https://www.juniorsmidnightmoon.com/junior-remembered
Thank you— sorry to duplicate your post. Thanks for remembering Ronald Reagan. Wilkes and Madison County, NC sure remember him.
RIP! Junior drove real cars, ie. cars that you could by at a dealer that were modified, not chrome tube race cars and he drove on dirt sometimes. And he ran shine!!!
421. And the real Thunder Road has had most of it’s deliberately built extreme curves taken out of it, still a few. 115 from Statesville.
bTW, the southern areas were quite active in the moonshine business. UP north, on the other hand, they not only made to stuff, they ran it directly to Chicago and Detroit, etc, they ran it across the Canada/American line.
Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, as well as the rest of the northern states were ground zero.
They used to load TONS of it on ore freighters and ship it to the ports across the Great Lakes region as well as the East coast.
“Speedy ride to heaven in your “mystery engine” 427 junior. You earned it”
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Ray Fox and Junior Johnson were my favorite team back in the day. Grew up close to Daytona, and one night just before the 63 Daytona 500, some buddies and I went by Ray Fox’s garage. It was closed, and no one was there, looking through the shop windows/glass doors we were puzzled by the sight of rectangular valve cover “Chevy?” engines. Being Chevy drag racers (with a ‘62 409/409) we expected to see the typical “W” style valve covers. Regardless, we were pumped by the way Junior ran in one of the qualifying races. Anyway, went to the 500 expecting to see Chevrolet dominate, only to see Tiny Lund (had never heard of him) win in a Ford (ugh).
Back in those days they would even have cars parked under a roof but outside of the garage area. Could walk right up to the car with Johnson’s name painted on it. No security, no cameras. The level of crime was nothing compared to today. Back in that era many people did not even lock doors to homes. What an innocent time that was.
RIP Junior Johnson.
Thanks, 321 runs up through Lenoir.
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