Hall of Fame NASCAR racer Junior Johnson died Friday.
Johnson won 50 races in NASCAR’s top division — the most of any driver without a championship — and added 132 victories and six championships as a successful team owner for many legends of the sport.
Johnson’s passing was confirmed by the NASCAR Hall of Fame, according to NASCAR.com as he had been in declining health and entered hospice care earlier this week.
He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in its inaugural Class of 2010.
Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell released the following statement on Friday:
“Junior Johnson truly was the ‘Last American Hero,’” NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France said in a statement. “From his early days running moonshine through the end of his life, Junior wholly embodied the NASCAR spirit. He was an inaugural NASCAR Hall of Famer, a nod to an extraordinary career as both a driver and team owner. Between his on-track accomplishments and his introduction of Winston to the sport, few have contributed to the success of NASCAR as Junior has. The entire NASCAR family is saddened by the loss of a true giant of our sport, and we offer our deepest condolences to Junior’s family and friends during this difficult time.”