Mule or Jackass? Merry Christmas from Junior Johnson
Stock Car Racing History
From motorsports journalist Tom Higgins, comes news of a visit with Junior Johnson:
Holiday greetings, from Junior Johnson
Former NASCAR driver and Hall of Fame member Junior Johnson smiles as he tells a story at his Charlotte home. Jeff Siner - jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
By Tom Higgins - TOM HIGGINS SCUFFS
Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012
I come bearing wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from legendary NASCAR Hall Of Famer Junior Johnson and his family, wife Lisa and children Robert and Meredith.
In response to many inquiries, I am delighted to relate that the colorful, popular Junior, 81, is happy and hearty.
This after developing a dangerous staph infection that hospitalized him for five weeks early last spring after he underwent back surgery at Duke Hospital.
During his recovery, Junior and family moved from his native Brushy Mountains in North Carolina, near the border of Wilkes and Yadkin counties, to Quail Hollow in Charlotte.
My friend Linda and I visited Junior last Saturday at his new home in the upscale neighborhood, site of the Wells Fargo Golf Championship each May.
He greeted us with a grin and hugs at a wrought-iron gate that fronts the beautiful, large stone mansion.
We then got a tour of the house and grounds, followed closely by Juniors three dogs. Savage is a Ridgeback, Sugar a Chesapeake Bay retriever and Doodles a Lab-Chesapeake Bay mix.
The home is decorated magnificently. There are four Christmas trees, including one in Merediths bedroom. She is a high school junior in Charlotte. Robert is a freshman at Duke University.
"Were really looking forward to our first Christmas here," said Junior, who was the midst of planning a party for neighbors that include NASCAR team owners Rick Hendrick and Felix Sabates. "Its going to be a different experience after all the country Christmases we had back in the mountains."
Hendricks home is only two doors down from Juniors, and they have become good friends. Hendrick flew Junior to Phoenix in November as his guest at the next-to-last race of the Cup Series season.
I chuckled at this.
Junior was not happy late in the 1986 season when three-time series champion Darrell Waltrip divulged that he would depart the Johnson operation to drive for Hendrick in 87. "Im leaving an old mule for a nice thoroughbred," cracked Waltrip, a winner of 41 races and all his titles with Junior.
"Ive had a jackass driving for me and now I am rid of him," responded Junior in one of the top touches in NASCAR history.
"I dont think either one of them (Hendrick or Waltrip) is magic."
The old adage mostly is true: Time heals all wounds. Junior long has had a warm relationship with Waltrip, also a NASCAR Hall Of Famer. And now the same with Hendrick.
But I have digressed. Back to the tour of Juniors home
He showed us, among others, a gym room for workouts and an entertainment room with a very large screen for watching TV and DVDs. The latter has two rows of four comfy recliners each. There is a closet-sized popcorn room nearby.
A hallway contains about a dozen favorite trophies from Juniors racing career. He was a driver from 1953-65, winning 50 times. He also was one of the sports most successful team owners, fielding 140 winners and claiming six championships before retiring in 1995.
The centerpiece trophy is that from the 1960 Daytona 500. Junior, driving an under-powered Chevrolet fielded by legendary Ray Fox, discovered the phenomenon of the aerodynamic draft and used it to defeat a fleet of fast, factory-backed Pontiacs driven by the likes of Fireball Roberts and Cotton Owens.
The trophy case includes the 1976 owners award from the first of his three straight championships with driver Cale Yarborough. Also the trophy from Waltrips initial title run in 1981.
The latter was the season that NASCAR first took its post-season awards program to New York.
"Junior told the whole team that he wanted us to be the first to sit on the stage at the Waldorf Astoria, and we did it!" Waltrip has revealed. "Being first at everything meant a lot to him."
Throughout the stone home--which somewhat resembles a castle with its tall, round turretthere are photos of Junior that brought back memories. There he is in victory lane after winning the 1962 National 400 at Charlotte Motor SpeedwayAnd in triumph in 1958 for the first time at North Wilkesboro Speedway, his home trackAnd in 1969 as the winning car owner in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway with the late driver LeeRoy Yarbrough.
The latter was the season that the Johnson-Yarbrough combo became the first team to sweep the sports Big Three races, or Triple Crown, in the same yearthe Daytona 500, Charlottes World 600 and the Southern 500.
There also are photos of Junior with four Presidents of The United States: Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
It was Reagan who presented Junior the best Christmas gift he ever received, a Presidential pardon, on Dec. 26, 1985.
In 1956 Junior was convicted of manufacturing illegal moonshine whiskey. The "revenooers" nabbed him while staking out one of his fathers stills. Junior served 11 months and 3 days of a year-and-a-day federal prison sentence imposed by Judge Johnson Hayes.
"They couldnt catch me on the road," said Junior, who began hauling his fathers moonshine during the mid-1940s at age 14. "Im right proud of always outrunning em in cars But I couldnt do it on foot!"
Alongside a picture of Reagan and Junior shaking hands is the pardon, now framed, that the President handed a thankful Johnson in the Oval Office.
Junior is the only person in American history to hold the distinction of being pardoned in the White House.
It is a measure of the esteem in which the man has long been held.
"Junior, you have lived the most remarkable life of anyone Ive ever known," I said.
He smiled softly in appreciation and nodded.
"It has been something else," he said. "And now we are adding a new chapter here at Quail Hollow."
Two hours had passed, and it was time for Linda and I to go.
Junior, followed by his dogs, walked us to my vehicle.
As we started to drive away he closed the big iron gate and reached down to pet Sugar.
Then Junior turned and called after us.
"Tell everybody Merry Christmas!" he said.
Read more here: http://www.thatsracin.com/2012/12/13/98674/holiday-greetings-from-junior.html#storylink=cpy
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/16/16 07:54:05AM
Maybe what RacersReunion needs is its own annual trophy girl competition. We could get all the beauties at tracks accessible to say, Myrtle Beach - like those in the states of SC, NC, GA, FL, VA, TN to come over and compete. Maybe we could find a group of old guys on a Tuesday night to do the judging and broadcast the event live via radio. We could call the entrants the "Goat Gals!" For starting this outstanding topic, Jim Wilmore should be a permanent judge of any swimsuit competition among track trophy girls.
