Junior Johnson won 50 races as a driver – famous for discovering drafting at Daytona – then became one of NASCAR's greatest owners, winning six championships with Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip. A former moonshiner, he was pardoned by President Reagan in 1986 and embodied NASCAR's outlaw roots.
Johnson died of Alzheimer's complications in 2019 at 88. From running moonshine through the Wilkes County hills to the Hall of Fame, his life was the ultimate NASCAR story.
At a Glance
- Born: June 28, 1931, Ronda, North Carolina
- Died: December 20, 2019, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Age: 88
- Cause of death: Alzheimer's disease
Final Resting Place
Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery, Ronda, North Carolina.
From the Book
This profile is adapted from Legends at Rest: NASCAR Legends by Howard Wear.
Portrait: Photo by Ted Van Pelt, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.