This is Junior Johnson in 1985, when he wasn't driving his NASCAR race car. Junior Johnson is one of the all time great NASCAR drivers. He has been named one of the fifty greatest NASCAR drivers and inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990 at its inaugural (click here).
I used to be a huge NASCAR Fan. I watched NASCAR when far younger with my Dad, back in the day when "Stock cars were stocked cars." Mario Andre, Bill Elliot and the boys from Dawson, Georgia. Boy, is this a throw back.
The last race I attended was in 1995 at Martinsville Raceway. Martin won that race, but, he always won all the short track races.
I objected to NASCAR after a time because I objected to the 'persona' the Francis' were putting forward in their drivers. They were macho men with little representation of the environment, conscience of change to their fans promoting healthy living and quite frankly standing on the side of war, even in Iraq by allowing some of their teams to display affiliations with The National Guard, etc. The 'introduction' of the military institutions under this administration to the race car scene was an enticement that should have been regarded as inappropriate. The military is government and to have million dollar race teams involved in NASCAR and IROC was simply wrong. NASCAR is a private enterprise and it should have remained that way. Perhaps they'll think this through differently in the future.
NO, NASCAR isn't going to get off easy here. I don't mind having a military, but, there is a right and a wrong to things as they existed under Bush and NASCAR simply looked the other way and kept raking in the bucks. I do believe there needs to be a cultural awakening to some of these 'beloved' American institutions. Perhaps NASCAR can find a way to run the concept of THE GREEN MACHINES on their tracks and invite sponsors like Chevy's VOLT to symbolize the progress that needs to made in the way of personal transportation. After all, those race cars were never intended to be family cars, but, they certainly symbolized a lot of glamour to any owner.
I am so very glad to see Junior Johnson make a public decision to stand with Barak Obama and Joe Biden and the Democrats for change. He's right, there is a right side and a wrong side to life and conducting 'Robocalls' is simply wrong.
It does my heart good to have him come forward. Thank you so much. So very, very much.
Let's see now, I think Junior hales from Wilkes County, North Carolina if I remember right.
