Gary Johnson (born May 12, 1940) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series and NASCAR Winston West Series. He is not related to Jimmie Johnson, whose father is also named Gary.
Racing career Johnson competed in the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman National Championship in 1961 and in the NASCAR Modified National Championship in 1962 and 1964, finishing top-fifteen in the standings both years in the latter series. In 1974, Johnson began competing in the NASCAR Winston West Series, driving a self-owned Dodge for four races. After a hiatus in 1975, Johnson returned to the series in 1976, attempting all but one race. He scored three poles and seven top-tens, as well as his first career win at Laguna Seca. Johnson was awarded rookie of the year. Johnson ended the season third in points. In running a majority of the West schedule, Johnson made his NASCAR Winston Cup Series debut at Riverside International Raceway, finishing 29th. Johnson competed full-time in the West Series in 1977, scoring a pole, seven top tens, and a win at Ontario Motor Speedway, finishing fourth in the standings. He qualified for two Winston Cup races, finishing twentieth in the season opener. Johnson scaled back to part-time in 1978, running sixteen races, scoring a pole, nine top tens, and his final career win, coming at Spokane's Interstate Fairgrounds Speedway. This season saw him make his final Cup start, where rear end issues took him out of the season opener at Riverside after just three laps, and his final attempt, coming at the second Riverside race, where he failed to qualify. Johnson made three West starts in 1979, failing to finish any races due to brake issues at All American Speedway and crashing out at Shasta Speedway and Sears Point International Raceway. He competed in the Rose Classic at All American Speedway, finishing eleventh. After not competing in the West Series in 1980, Johnson returned for four races in 1981, scoring two top-tens, including a fourth at Riverside. His next start came in 1983, where he finished eighth at Sears Point. He made his final career start in 1986, finishing twentieth at Sears Point due to overheating. Johnson finished thirteenth in the Ocean Speedway track championship in 1993. He attempted to qualify for the Tuckasee Toilet Bowl Classic in 2008. He made a start in the WISSOTA Dirt Track Series in 2023, competing in the Midwest Modified class.
Motorsports career results
NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Winston Cup Series NASCAR Winston Cup Series resultsYearTeamNo.Make123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930PtsRef1976Al Clark44DodgeRSD29DAYCARRCHBRIATLNWSDARMARTALNSVDOVCLTRSDMCHDAYNSVPOCTALMCHBRIDARRCHDOVMARNWSCLTCARATL79th126ChevyONTDNQ1977RSD20DAYRCHCARATLNWSDARBRIMARTALNSVDOVCLTRSD29MCHDAYNSVPOCTALMCHBRIDARRCHDOVMARNWSCLTCARATLONTDNQ75th1791978Ted ArmstrongRSD35DAYRCHCARATLBRIDARNWSMARTALDOVCLTNSVRSDDNQMCHDAYNSVPOCTALMCHBRIDARRCHDOVMARNWSCLTCARATLONT104th58
Winston West Series NASCAR Winston West Series resultsYearTeamNo.Make12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728PtsRef1974Johnson Racing7DodgeRSDAMPS99MSPCORSBPASPRSDWERWSPSPSSTAUSPPORMEDEUGCBSCAJCRSASPAMP24CSPPOR24SGBASPONT48th14471EVG26YAK181976Al Clark44DodgeRSD29RSD3rd8134ChevyEVG344WSP12USP5POR6SHA2SGS4EVG20YAK8POR15LAG1*ONTDNQ1977RSD20LAG3ONT1*SJS7MMR13ASP10RSD29SGS18YAK13EVG16WSP6USP11POR17AAS15ASP9SHA15POR3ONTDNQPHO174th1284.5Johnson Racing7CRS171978Ted Armstrong44RSD3511th696PontiacAAS3S996SHA3PET11MMR18RSDIFS1YAK5WSP19LSPEVG20POR20CRSASPSON2SHA8CBSYAK11OSS9ONTPHO81979RSDMMRRSDEVGYAKPORAAS14SHA15CRSSON23EVGSPOPORASPONTPHO33rd1011981Unknown4PontiacRSDS996AAS12MMRRSDLAGPORWSPEVGSHARSD4SON12*RSDPHO27th841983John Edgett74BuickS99SON8RSDYAKEVGSHARSDCPLRSDPHO34th431986John Kieper98ChevySON20RSDEVGRCSTACPIRWSRRSD44th31
References
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