Gordon Johncock

Gordon Walter Johncock (born August 5, 1936) is an American former racing driver. He won the Indianapolis 500 twice, and was the 1976 USAC Marlboro Championship Trail champion.

Career Johncock initially began racing at Michigan tracks like the Old Hastings, MI Raceway, Capital City Speedway in Lansing, MI, the Grand Rapids MI Speedrome, and later at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Michigan. Johncock began his USAC and CART/IndyCar career in 1964 when he drove for Weinberger Racing. He ran four races in 1964, and then went full-time in 1965.

Johncock's first USAC victory was scored at the Milwaukee Mile in August 1965. In 1966, he went winless in nine starts out of 16 races, so he left Gerhardt Racing at the end of the year to form his own team, Johncock Racing. His primary sponsor became Gilmore Broadcasting and Johncock was the only other "owner-driver" in IndyCar with the other being A. J. Foyt.

Although Johncock's team won six races in a three-year period (1967-1969), things went downhill when Johncock lost the Gilmore sponsorship at the end of 1970. Between 1970 and 1973, Johncock went winless, his team shuttered operations, and Johncock found himself in bankruptcy court.

Johncock's winless drought came to an end when he joined the STP/Patrick Racing team ahead of the 1973 USAC season. At the 1973 Indianapolis 500, a major accident at the start involving Salt Walther, coupled with two days of rain, postponed the race until late Wednesday afternoon. When the race started up again on Wednesday, Johncock's teammate Swede Savage was severely injured in a fiery crash on lap 58. A moment later, Armando Teran, a pit crew member on the same STP/Patrick team, was struck by a fire truck going northbound in the pits, and was fatally injured.

When the race resumed, Johncock took the lead on lap 73 and held it until rain fell again on the 133rd lap. Nearing 6 p.m., the race was red flagged and declared over. After a short and muted victory lane celebration, Johncock went to visit Savage at the hospital. Afterward, the celebratory victory banquet was cancelled. Instead, Johncock and his crew went to a local fast-food restaurant for hamburgers. Thirty three days after the race, Savage succumbed to his injuries.

Johncock won the USAC national championship in 1976, snatching the title from Johnny Rutherford, in the final race of the season, at Phoenix International Raceway. In 1976 and 1978 he finished third in the Indianapolis 500, and in 1977 he was leading A. J. Foyt when the car's crankshaft broke with sixteen laps to go. In 1979, he won the inaugural race contested under CART sanction, the Arizona Republic / Jimmy Bryan 150 at Phoenix.

Johncock took his second Indianapolis 500 victory in 1982 by a car length over Rick Mears. After falling behind on the final sequence of pit stops, Mears was rapidly closing in on Johncock in the final laps, and on the 197th and 198th laps, came from 3 seconds back to be within a car length. Johncock's tires were rapidly deteriorating, and with each turn, the car understeered severely.

Mears caught Johncock at the start of the final lap and tried to pass him for the win, but Johncock made a decisive defense of his position in Turn One and held on to win the race by 0.16 seconds. At the time, it was the closest finish in Indianapolis 500 history and remains the fourth-closest behind the 1992, 2014, and 2006 races. Mears would later joke about watching the race over and over "to see if this time I get around Gordy." Johncock, years later during a live interview on ABC, offered that if the dramatic duel had occurred two or three years later—when Mears had additional experience—the Californian would probably have pulled off the winning pass. Johncock leads Rick Mears in the closing stages of the 1982 Indianapolis 500.

Johncock took another three Indycar races, including the 1982 Michigan 500 to complete two legs of what was then known as the Triple Crown (Indianapolis, Michigan, and Pocono) before retiring from full-time racing in 1985. He returned for occasional appearances in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, and finally retired for good after the 1992 Indianapolis 500.

Johncock's last Indycar win was in the opening round of the 1983 CART PPG Indy Car World Series at the Atlanta Motor Speedway driving a Cosworth powered Patrick Wildcat. Johncock, who started third on the grid, won the 200 mile, 132 lap race running an average of 146.133 mph from the Penske-Cosworth of Al Unser and John Paul Jr. in a 1982 model Penske-Cosworth.

Johncock competed in 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events in his career. He earned three top-fives and four top-tens in his limited schedule. The best of those finishes were a pair of fourths in 1973 at Daytona and in 1966 at Rockingham.

First retirement Johncock abruptly retired from IndyCar racing during the first week of practice for the 1985 Indianapolis 500. He served on the IMS Radio Network in 1985, but decided to return to racing in 1986. He planned to enter the 1986 Indianapolis 500, but his funding fell through. He ended up sitting out the race. He attempted another return in 1987. During the first week of time trials, Jim Crawford suffered serious injuries to his feet. Johncock was hired to drive in place of Crawford and qualified for the race.

Second retirement

Johncock completed a sixth-place finish in the 1991 Indianapolis 500, despite having flu-like symptoms the morning of the race. His final race was the 1992 Indianapolis 500, where he dropped out of the race with engine failure.

Since his retirement, Johncock has distanced himself from motorsports, and instead focused on his timber business in Michigan. He participated in a 2004 interview on ESPN Classic's "Big Ticket" review of the 1982 Indy 500.

In the interview, he admitted that his interest in racing was now limited, and was no longer his daily focus. In discussing the 1973 race, Johncock appeared to have made peace with the circumstances of the miserable memories that were associated with the rain-shortened race, while insisting that his car was undoubtedly the fastest on the track, led easily, but unfortunately was not in front at the time the red flag appeared.

Johncock chose not to attend the 2011 Indianapolis 500, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first race. Despite the fact that all living former participants, and particularly living former winners, were invited. Johncock did not attend any of the festivities, seemingly by choice. A year later, Speedway officials again invited him to attend the 2012 Indianapolis 500, and this time he did return to the Speedway and participated in pre-race festivities.

During the lead up to the 2023 Indianapolis 500, officials from Borg-Warner invited Johncock back to Indianapolis in celebration of the 50th anniversary of his 1973 win. Johncock and his extended family took a ceremonial lap around the Speedway in a tour bus. After stopping off for pictures at the Yard of Bricks, Johncock got into the driver's seat of the bus and took his family for an impromptu second, and final lap around the track.

As Johncock was not given an official Victory Banquet in 1973 owing to the fatality that occurred during that race and because of the excessive delays, the Speedway offered an official Victory Banquet for Johncock to receive his Champion Driver's Trophy, first awarded in 1988 for race winners and since 2013, has been awarded on milestone anniversaries. It was at that celebration that Johncock expounded on his life outside of racing, saying that farming was what he was always "caring to do."

Awards Johncock was inducted into the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1985. www.mmshof.org Johncock was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 1997. In 1999, Johncock was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. Johncock was inducted into the Grand Rapids, MI Sports Hall of Fame (www.grshof.com) in 2000. Johncock was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2002. Johncock was inducted into the United States Auto Club Hall of Fame in 2025.

Motorsports career results

American open-wheel racing (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

USAC Championship Car

PPG Indy Car World Series 1 Johncock was listed as the primary entry and participated in practice; prior to qualifying, Johncock announced he was withdrawing, and announced a retirement from driving.

Indianapolis 500 Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team 1965 Watson Offenhauser 14 5 Weinberger & Welseck Enterprises 1966 Gerhardt Ford 6 4 Weinberger & Welseck Enterprises 1967 Gerhardt Ford 3 12 Johncock Racing Team 1968 Gerhardt Offenhauser 9 27 Johncock Racing Team 1969 Gerhardt Offenhauser 5 19 Johncock Racing Team 1970 Gerhardt Offenhauser 17 28 Johncock Racing Team 1971 McLaren Offenhauser 12 29 Vollstedt Enterprises 1972 McLaren Offenhauser 26 20 Team McLaren 1973 Eagle Offenhauser 11 1 Patrick Racing 1974 Eagle Offenhauser 4 4 Patrick Racing 1975 Wildcat DGS 2 31 Patrick Racing 1976 Wildcat DGS 2 3 Patrick Racing 1977 Wildcat DGS 5 11 Patrick Racing 1978 Wildcat DGS 6 3 Patrick Racing 1979 Penske Cosworth 5 6 Patrick Racing 1980 Penske Cosworth 17 4 Patrick Racing 1981 Wildcat Cosworth 17 9 Patrick Racing 1982 Wildcat Cosworth 5 1 Patrick Racing 1983 Wildcat Cosworth 10 14 Patrick Racing 1984 March Cosworth 5 25 Patrick Racing 1985 March Cosworth Wth Patrick Racing 1987 March Buick 18 22 Patrick Racing 1988 Lola Buick DNQ Royal Motor Racing 1989 Lola Buick 23 31 Hemelgarn Racing 1991 Lola Cosworth 33 6 Hemelgarn Racing 1992 Lola Buick 30 29 Hemelgarn Racing

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Grand National Series NASCAR Grand National Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 Pts Ref 1966 K&K Insurance Racing 71 Dodge AUG RSD DAY7 DAY DAY29 CAR BRI ATL19 HCY CLB GPS BGS NWS MAR DAR LGY MGR MON RCH CLT DTS ASH PIF SMR AWS BLV GPS DAY ODS BRR OXF FON ISP BRI SMR NSV ATL CLB AWS BLV BGS DAR HCY RCH HBO MAR NWS NA - Junior Johnson & Associates 26 Ford CLT4 CAR27 1967 R.L. Diestler 85 Plymouth AUG RSD43 DAY DAY11 DAY30 AWS BRI GPS BGS NA - Ford ATL41 CLB HCY NWS MAR SVH RCH DAR BLV LGY CLT ASH MGR SMR BIR CAR GPS MGY DAY TRN OXF FDA ISP BRI SMR NSV ATL BGS CLB SVH DAR HCY RCH BLV HBO MAR NWS Bud Moore Engineering 16 Mercury CLT42 CAR5 AWS 1968 Lyle Stelter 55 Ford MGR MGY RSD DAYDNQ BRI RCH ATL HCY GPS CLB NWS MAR AUG AWS DAR BLV LGY CLT ASH MGR SMR BIR CAR GPS DAY ISP OXF FDA TRN BRI SMR NSV ATL CLB BGS AWS SBO LGY DAR HCY RCH BLV HBO MAR NWS AUG CLT CAR JFC NA -

Winston Cup Series NASCAR Winston Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Pts Ref 1972 Crawford Racing 22 Plymouth RSD DAY RCH ONT CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV MCH RSD TWS DAY BRI TRN ATL TAL MCH NSV DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT42 CAR TWS35 NA - 1973 Ellington Racing 28 Chevy RSD DAY38 RCH CAR25 BRI ATL11 NWS DAR MAR TAL38 NSV CLT DOV TWS RSD MCH DAY4 BRI ATL TAL NSV DAR RCH DOV NWS MAR CLT CAR25 NA - 1975 Ellington Racing 28 Chevy RSD DAY RCH CAR BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL36 NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH DAR DOV NWS MAR CLT RCH CAR BRI ATL ONT NA - 1976 K&K Insurance Racing 17 Dodge RSD DAY CAR RCH BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT39 CAR ATL ONT NA -

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 1966 K&K Insurance Racing Dodge 13 29 1967 R.L. Diestler Plymouth 22 30 1968 Lyle Stelter Ford DNQ 1973 Ellington Racing Chevrolet 5 38

International Race of Champions (key) (Bold – Pole position. * – Most laps led.) International Race of Champions results Season Make Q1 Q2 Q3 1 2 3 4 Pos. Pts Ref 1973–74 Porsche RSD10 RSD9 RSD11 DAY 11th - 1976–77 Chevy MCH7 RSD10 RSD10 DAY 11th - 1977–78 MCH6 RSD3 RSD10 DAY3 6th - 1978–79 MCH MCH3 RSD RSD6* ATL6 6th - 1979–80 MCH MCH1 RSD RSD5 ATL4 4th 26 1984 Chevy MCH3 CLE3 TAL7 MCH5 5th 45