RIP Junior Johnson...

[durok]

Junior Johnson, aka "the Wilkes County Wildman" has passed -

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/motorsports/junior-johnson-moonshiner-turned-nascar-legend-dies-at-88/ar-BBYcXlw

He was old-school stock-car racing at its best... an actual whiskey-runner that was pardoned for his moonshining conviction by President Reagan himself and the first person to use the drafting technique in stock car racing.

NASCAR now is a pale imitation of what it was in the '50s and '60s when he came up in the ranks...

 

[JatoTheRipper]

I'm glad you posted this here. As a life long NASCAR fan, it is very sad news to see the passing of a legend!

 

[Mopar man]

A racing legend indeed. RIP

 

[Mopar man]

I work for NASCAR and got the honor to me him a couple times. Great guy with great stories and a very tough driver.

 

[Ragenwraith]

RIP JR...You've taken the checker to that circle track in the sky never to be forgotten!

 

[4wd4ws]

RIP.

Love that pic. Pure death stare.

 

[Mike Flea]

RIP Junior

 

[Natedog]

Thanks for posting and sad to hear. I remember watching him race back when, But haven’t watched NASCAR in years.

 

[Peaker]

Got to give huge props to race drivers of old, those guys had brass balls,,,,, depleted uranium encased brass balls. "thumbsup"
Drivers today are most often overprotected - overpaid - whining, and will never earn the same respect from me at least.

I recall seeing a interview with Stirling moss, where he said he was out in the lead of a race but his tires was falling apart to a degree where he had to drive with 2 of them on the grass to try and keep them together for the last few laps.
And he was probably not wearing a seat belt.

https://drivetribe.com/p/how-to-dri...kVS9Q4Giyp_xXt_jmA?iid=eMP9Ot8mR1Wlxr4IEMUznw

<iframe width="1000" height="750" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bDyT3JsblTE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

AVG speed for the race probably something like 130 - 140 MPH

 

[JacktheRipper]

RIP Junior .......

@ Peaker
Well said so true, it was racing , a car, a man & crew, out running the field. NASCAR has become a show, passed as I cruse the swamp looking for something of interest.

NASCAR, the kardashians, Wheaties boy, now Kotex boy/girl the big 3:lmao:

Time outs during a race, push cars, yellow flags for a sheet of paper on track, and all the rest of the nonsense, has killed it.

Look at Dodge, do not campaign a car.... they built power, engineered bodies designed for speed, (racing) . Then the other 2 start whining, usually starts with Ford, then GM chirps like parrots. Dodge to fast, unfair, blah, blah

So what does Bill France and his clown show do? Instead of reminding the crybabies it is a race. Changes the rules, makes total sense to me, NOT.

Stepping off the soapbox.


pep

 

[Peaker]

F1 died for me many years ago, and the Shumacher age just pushed me over the edge.


I know it became lopsided with some teams just pouring more money into it, and so pretty much winning all the time, but stuff like that don't go on for ever, cuz no one want to see that, and no one ant to compete against that.
But stepping in and make all sorts of regulations ASO just killed the sport.


And i feel the same about group B rally cars, rally became less interesting for me back then, to the tune of always watching the races, to just watching it once in a while when timing and channel flipping incidental landed me on a rally race.
And back then i did not own a TV, such a contraption i first got at the age of 45 ( some 10 years ago ) and it is going into electronics recycling in a week or so, and i will be back to no TV.