Junior Johnson

Race Car Driver

Birthday June 28, 1931

Birth Sign Cancer

Birthplace Wilkesboro, NC

DEATH DATE Dec 20, 2019 (88)

#93,799 Most Popular

About

NASCAR legend who won 50 races, sponsored championship drivers, pioneered drafting and came out with his own line of ham. In 1998, he was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers.

Before Fame

In his first win he discovered staying right behind the leading car allowed him to accelerate faster, and so drafting was born. 

Trivia

He published an autobiography called The Last American Hero, playing off a nickname of his. He had a vocal role in the Pixar movie Cars 3

Family Life

His father was in and out of prison for bootlegging pretty much all of young Junior's life. 

Associated With

When it came to dirt tracks, even the great Ned Jarrett admitted there were few people better than Junior.