Junior Johnson Passes On
 

Saw over on the HAMB where Junior Johnson passed away yesterday. He was a great man who raced a few flatheads. He will be missed.

Re: Junior Johnson Passes On
 

hamb info here https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...today.1177887/

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Junior Johnson was my favorite racer of the 1960's. He will be missed.

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Junior was a great racer. A great man? Well, judging by his seriously bad criminal record that went well in to his rather recent past, well, a "great man"???

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Which Jr Johnson?

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...

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"say it aint so!"

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I was very shocked. I figured he'd learned his lesson when arrested for boot legging booze when he was younger. Guess it was in his DNA - huh?

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God rest his soul

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https://external-content.duckduckgo....3D1&f=1&nofb=1


https://external-content.duckduckgo....jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Re: Junior Johnson Passes On
 

J.J. - legend in the hills and flats. true rock and roller... R.I.P.

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Junior was a lot of things, but I seriously doubt he was involved with meth. Is there proof, or at least a link to this insinuation?

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Junior was right popular in the Wilkesboro NC area. Up until the last few years the local news would do a story about him every once in a while. Was truly one of the first Nascar pioneers.

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There is a German expression, "ins Fett getreten" that I think applies here. Stepped in some grease (and tracked it all over the place).

Oops, or source, but gawd either way!?!

Calls for a "bootleg turn" I think. I have great respect for both Junior Johnson and Kube . . .

Anyway, there was a fascinating post a few years back about the suspension modifications used back in the day on those '40 coupes that were used for running moonshine. Don't remember if it was here or on the hamb, but involved four houdaille shocks on the rear, and a stiffer spring, as I recall.

The old man worked at Blair's speed shop back then, and told me they would build full-house flatheads and ship them out to the great Southeast.

Some more hearsay for you!

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...

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I see you have deleted your mention that “it was all over the news some time ago”, but a number of Google searches show nothing even remotely like a meth arrest. Sorry, but I think this deserves a retraction, not simply a deletion.

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The only criminal offense is from the 50s and bootlegging.

There is a Charles "jr" Johnson that had a bunch of criminal stuff involved in a company called Purchase Pro.

I think the 2 got confused

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Well, best course of action is to disregard or delete this thread, and head over to the hamb if you want to hear about Junior Johnson's life and legacy.

Has more to do with "what I did on my lunch hour" and the Moonshine Festival than reality.

This kind of stuff (and "what I did on my lunch hour") is why I mostly lurk and rarely post.

Re: Junior Johnson Passes On
 

ins Fett getreten: He dropped a brick
He really put his foot in it!
Open mouth, insert foot....

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Not everything is within the realm of Google.
I should have left the man to rest in peace. I didn't (I was wrong) and for that reason retracted my comment to allow a few their time to grieve in their own way.

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He was an important historical figure in NASCAR. I was a fan of his in some ways, not so much in other ways, but I'll always acknowledge that he was probably the most culturally significant NASCAR driver of my lifetime. Many good thoughts go out to his family and friends.

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I have a son who lives in Mooresville and he sent up a couple of bottles of legal "Junior's best". He said try it but I never have. Still sealed on the shelf along with a small bottle of "Bubba's" hot sauce. I think of it as a nice collectable for whatever. Did see the 63 Chevrolet in the NASCAR museum at Charlotte some time ago. No point in even bothering with NASCAR anymore when you know who the winner is going to be every week !

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I met him at Goodwood. Nice guy, he signed my programme.

Also met Smokey Yunick and Ak Miller at the same meet.

Mart.

Re: Junior Johnson Passes On
 

halls of fame

Junior Johnson leaves a lasting legacy in NASCAR’s history

Jim O'Clair on Dec 26th, 2019 at 4:00 pm

See > https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2019/1...ign=2019-12-27

Re: Junior Johnson Passes On
 

Junior served 11 months of a two year sentence for unpaid taxes on illegal whiskey in 1956. He was caught at his daddy’s still. Junior said “they never caught me a haulin”. He told me the fastest car he ever drove wasn’t a race car but a liquor car. He said it’s a lot different when you’re racing for some money and a trophy versus running for your life ..Glad I got to meet him.

Re: Junior Johnson Passes On
 

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...0&d=1577497738
He served only 11 months of that sentence before being released, and later received a presidential pardon for his crime, from Ronald Reagan in 1986.

Re: Junior Johnson Passes On
 

What about all the other guys that were convicted of the exact same crime? Why weren't they pardoned as well ??!

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If you want to hear the real story about Junior Johnson's career, read the Hot Rod magazine article about running shine. Google Willy Clay Call, and the HRM story will pop up. Running shine was a way of life in the South. Junior never got caught running, he was arrested when the revenuers busted his Father's still. One of the '40 coupes Jr. raced is in the N Wilkesboro NC heritage museum.

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The HRM article is Moonshine Runners & The Cars they Drove. This a photo of Junior and his good friend Willie Clay Call who Jr. drove for.

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I met him several times mostly at tracks as a fan, last time was probably at Bristol or Martinsville. But most memorable was in the early 90s when Bill Elliott was driving for him. I stopped by his shop in Ingle Hollow. When I got there, Junior was out in the pasture with some cattle. I talked with Mike Beam, he gave me a couple of used tires from the #11 car. Junior came into the office before I left, got a few photos. He seemed very down to earth.

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Good question! My Grandfather served a year and a day for the same crime, twice!

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Was your Grandfather a Democrat?...;)

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I'm pretty sure that Jr. was pardoned (years after his release) from Federal Prison,
was because he turned his life around in such of profound way, head and shoulders
above what most would have accomplished.
He proved he was worthy of a FULL Pardon from the President. ;)







.

Re: Junior Johnson Passes On
 

And you know “ALL” the others that served time for the same offense did not turn their lives around, so please give details of how you know this. I’m sure you also know that during the “Jr Johnson era” of NASCAR as a team owner there were many “kickbacks” allowing those with the most $$$ to have huge advantages over other competitors. I know this not from hearsay but from personal experience.
Cheers