Junior Johnson Bio

Years before being immortalized in print and film as “The Last American Hero,” Junior Johnson dominated the 1960 Daytona 500.

Johnson led 67 laps on his way to the checkered flag in “The Great American Race,” the biggest win in his relatively short NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driving career. In all, he won 50 races in 313 starts while showing a particular talent for dirt tracks and superspeedways and never driving in what toady’s definition would be considered a full-time schedule.

While choosing his places to appear between 1958 and 1965, Johnson became one of the drivers to beat wherever he raced. In 1965, he won 13 races and still finished 12th in the point standings because he ran only 36 of 55 races that year. A year later, he raced only seven times before retiring as a driver at 35 years old to build a race team. His team’s on-track and financial success remains the model that owners attempt to copy.

Johnson’s drivers grabbed 132 checkered flags in the NEXTEL Cup Series, including two in the Daytona 500 — 1969 with LeeRoy Yarbrough and 1977 with Cale Yarborough. While his teams finished 55 percent of their races in the top 10, Johnson’s true mark as an owner reveals itself in championships at NASCAR’s highest level. Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip both won three NEXTEL Cup Series titles in cars owned by Johnson.