Junior Johnson

Junior Johnson honed his skill as a driver long before winning his first race in NASCAR competition. Johnson was a legendary moonshine runner on the back roads of Wilkes County North Carolina. After serving time in jail for that career choice, Johnson decided to put his talent to good use. His second season in NASCAR competition saw Johnson winning the Daytona 500 in 1960. The Chevrolet he piloted was one he built and wrenched on himself.

Johnson would claim 50 NASCAR race wins, making him one of the most successful drivers of his era, but his success as a car owner puts him in a truly unique place in stock car racing history. Johnson claimed 139 victories and six championships in NASCAR’s top division while employing legendary drivers Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough.

Johnson was also instrumental in brokering the partnership between the R.J. Reynolds Company and NASCAR that produced the first corporate series sponsorship in the sanctioning body’s history. Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990, Johnson was also named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.