Who is Junior Johnson | Moonshiner to NASCAR Superstar
Ranked #2,285 in Cars, #120,584 overall
"The Last American Hero"
A lifelong Southerner, my wife can rattle off the legend of Junior Johnson like he was the boy next door!
In 1966, she read one of her all-time favorite essays about the NASCAR legend in Tom Wolfe's The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streameline Baby. Originally published in the March 1965 issue of Esquire magazine, the essay titled "The Last American Hero" gave Junior Johnson his moniker. Jeff Bridges starred in the 1973 biographical movie The Last American Hero.
Wolfe wrote about Johnson as though the NASCAR driver were exotic flora and fauna. I suppose Wolfe was correct in that a lot of living, breathing things got kicked to high heaven when those souped-up roadsters hauled a boogie full of moonshine through central North Carolina. The revenooers never got him driving while carrying, but a posse of about 15 of them surrounded Johnson when he was stoking his daddy's still hidden away in the woods.
Johnson did time and was later pardoned by President Ronald Reagan.
On May 23, 2010, Junior Johnson was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/southernfoodwaysalliance/ / CC BY 2.0
Junior Johnson
The Last American Hero
Member Inaugural Class
NASCAR Hall of Fame
NASCAR Hall of Fame
Junior's Car
The North Carolina Museum of History displays Junior Johnson's NASCAR automobile.
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/75936255@N00/ / CC BY-ND 2.0
The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby
By Tom Wolfe
The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby
Amazon Price: $5.89 (as of 05/27/2012)
List Price: $16.00
The essay that many critics have considered the strongest is The Last American Hero, a profile of Junior Johnson, an early star of the stock car racing world and NASCAR. In looking at a single day at the races, Wolfe also examines the rise of the race day culture, how it is a stark contrast to the Grand Prix motor racing popular in Europe. The Last American Hero was made into a film in 1973, starring Jeff Bridges as the Johnson character.
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Tweets about Junior Johnson
Junior Johnson in the News
- When the 600 molded a champion
- You see, Darrell Waltrip won that race to complete the sweep, but the story behind the story is Darrell almost didn't even run the race because our team owner Junior Johnson was mad at NASCAR. It all started during postrace inspection after the ...
- CUP: Another Junior-Johnson Combo?
- Johnson, now riding a 15-race winless run of his own, talked after last year's race of ?owing? Junior one, but he said Friday that debts of that sort often depend on circumstances. ?I don't feel like I owe him,? Johnson said.
- All-Star Moments: No. 4 – Jaws, Junior And The Beginning
- Junior Johnson joined Darrell Waltrip in Victory Lane after the 1985 All-Star Race, then known at The Winston. (Photo by RacingOne/Getty Images) It's NASCAR All-Star Race week. It's a week that culminates in a race which, despite the fact ? or maybe ...
- UNC-TV profiles NASCAR's Junior Johnson in series
- BY BROOKE CAIN - bcain@newsobserver.com UNC-TV began profiling NASCAR legend Junior Johnson in a series of "Biographical Conversations" episodes that begin airing last Thursday. Johnson, a Wilkesboro native with a larger-than-life history, ...
Junior Johnson's Budweiser #11 Ford
Terry Labonte drove Junior Johnson's Budweiser #11 Ford to a 2nd place finish in the 1989 Checker Autoworks 500 at Phoenix.
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/55173627@N00/ / CC BY-SA 2.0
Then Junior Said to Jeff--: The Best NASCAR Stories Ever Told
By Jim McLaurin
Track promoter Enoch Staley recalls a race on Junior Johnson's home track of North Wilkesboro Speedway: "I saw something sail out of the stands and over the fence, right in front of [Johnson's opponent's] car. It hit the track and broke into a thousand pieces. It was a quart-sized fruit jar filled with white liquor.
Once he'd avoided the shattered glass, Johnson watched what came next with amusement.
"I saw that the law had come to the scene and was trying to arrest the guy," he said. "There was a pretty lively scuffle going on 'til the deputies got him handcuffed and took him off."
But that, according to Staley, wasn't the funny part.
"Junior didn't tell the rest of the story," he said. "The fan that got taken to jail was a feller named Ernest Money. He was Junior's uncle."
"Then Junior Said to Jeff. . .": The Best NASCAR Stories Ever Told (Best Sports Stories Ever Told)
Amazon Price: $3.89 (as of 05/27/2012)
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NASCAR racing reigns as America's most popular sport not only because of its high-speed thrills and chills but also for the colorful characters and memorable moments this unique fraternity has produced over the past half century.
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Junior Johnson's Pepsi Chevy
Darrell Waltrip drove to finish 2nd in the 1983 Van Scoy 500
The Junior Johnson owned Pepsi Chevy of Darrell Waltrip finished 2nd in the 1983 Van Scoy 500.
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/55173627@N00/ / CC BY-SA 2.0
Jim Croce Sings "I Got a Name"
Midnight Special in 1973
Share Your Favorite Memories of Junior Johnson
Ever see him race at Daytona?
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TylaMac
Feb 4, 2011 @ 6:27 pm | delete
- Junior Johnson's story is fascinating even if you're not a NASCAR fan. Unfortunately I'm too young to remember his racing days but I do remember when Darrell Waltrip drove for Junior's team. I had tears in my eyes when he accepted his Hall of Fame award.
*This lens has been blessed by a Squidangel.*
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Blog Posts about Junior Johnson
- HAMMOND: When The 600 Molded A Champion
- You see, Darrell Waltrip won that race to complete the sweep, but the story behind the story is Darrell almost didn't even run the race because our team owner Junior Johnson was mad at NASCAR. It all started during postrace inspection after the ...
- CUP: Another Junior-Johnson Combo?
- Johnson, now riding a 15-race winless run of his own, talked after last year's race of ?owing? Junior one, but he said Friday that debts of that sort often depend on circumstances. ?I don't feel like I owe him,? Johnson said.
- All-Star Moments: No. 4 – Jaws, Junior And The Beginning
- Junior Johnson joined Darrell Waltrip in Victory Lane after the 1985 All-Star Race, then known at The Winston. (Photo by RacingOne/Getty Images) It's NASCAR All-Star Race week. It's a week that culminates in a race which, despite the fact ? or maybe ...
- UNC-TV profiles NASCAR's Junior Johnson in series
- BY BROOKE CAIN - bcain@newsobserver.com UNC-TV began profiling NASCAR legend Junior Johnson in a series of "Biographical Conversations" episodes that begin airing last Thursday. Johnson, a Wilkesboro native with a larger-than-life history, ...
NASCAR Drivers Thrive on Speed
Stock Car Convertible Bed
Auto Racing Theme Bedroom
Step2 Stock Car Convertible Bed
Amazon Price: $289.97 (as of 05/27/2012)
List Price: $349.99
Racing decals and authentic styling make this the winner of juvenile beds. This bed "grows" with your child as it converts easily from crib to twin mattress. Includes molded-in racetrack for die-cast vehicle play. Support boards are also included. Minimal adult assembly required. Measures 23.625"H x 89.5"W x 49.25"D.
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Videoclip Shows Junior & Buddies Talking about Hauling Shine
National Geographic broadcast this oral history
Junior Johnson Memorabilia at Auction
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