Jays they got it right

Just days after being included as one of the first five members in NASCAR’s Hall of Fame Junior Johnson says the choices were the right ones. He says that Big Bill France and Little Bill were sure things, Richard Petty was a clear choice and Dale Earnhardt was every bodies pick. But says Junior all the rest were runners up, and that he had done more than any of them. After all he was the one that sent Winston to talk to NASCAR about a series sponsorship. In his short driving career he won 50 races and as a team owner 159 more and six championships. He was the first to find drafting on the super speedways which helped him win even when he didn’t have the fastest car.

Junior reminisced about the days with Bobby Allison saying they would never have lasted long because they were so different. Bobby always wanted to run his own team and Junior knew he would leave even though, says Junior, "If we’d staid together Petty wouldn’t have had all those championships!" He says people told Bobby they knew what Junior was getting from GM and that they could get the same stuff for Bobby. But, says Junior, I was puttin’ all that stock stuff in the back room and makin’ all my own parts. Bobby about went broke tryin’ to race with stock equipment.

When asked if the motor that Darrell Waltrip blew up years ago at the end of the Charlotte race was illegal he says., "No I was just able to build ‘em so they’d go just as far as they had to."

Junior is still making "white lightning" but doing it the legal way now. His "Midnight moon" can now be found in liquor stores instead of car trunks.

Asked what he’d like as an epitaph when he’s gone he thought and said. "He Didn’t Cheat as Much as They Said !h as People say…..but that’d be a lie."

In May of this year Junior’s son Robert Johnson won his first race at Caraway Speedway, NC and has won several more in his rookie year. They had cleaned up North Wilksboro Speedway so Robert could get some practice time. That had to bring back a lot of good memories for the family. Junior is putting Robert on dirt tracks as much as he can, "I want him to get the feel of a car on dirt. To be able to slide and get it back under control." Robert is sponsored by Junior Johnson’s Country Ham. Being only 15 years old (and all ready 6’4) he’s too young to be sponsored by "Midnight Moon" As you can see the Johnson’s are not finished racing.