Gordon Johncock, whose stirring drive at the end of the 1982 Indianapolis 500 gave him a second victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” died of natural causes Sept. 28 at his home in South Branch, Michigan. He was 90 years old.
Born Aug. 5, 1936, in Hastings, Michigan, the lifelong state resident (pictured, top) was an INDYCAR SERIES national champion in 1976 and won 25 races in the series. Yet Johncock was known for winning both memorable and forgettable 500s, each time driving for Patrick Racing.
Johncock’s duel with Rick Mears in the closing laps of the 1982 race (pictured above) was the most thrilling yet, prompting famed television broadcaster Jim McKay to claim he had “never seen anything like it.” Johncock masterfully covered Mears’ last-lap pass attempt in Turn 1, then passed the 1979 race winner to the finish line. Their margin at the checkered flag was then a record 0.16 seconds, still the seventh closest ever.
Johncock later said he was lucky to win as he hit an unusual bump in Turn 3 on the final lap that pushed his car up the track and gave Mears the opportunity to gain ground.
“I almost lost it,” he said The Star of Indianapolis in 2016. “Ask Rick; he saw him (because) he was right there.
“I had never ridden that low before in Turn 3, but I knew I had to do it if I wanted to be able to stay on the throttle. It was just a little tougher there than I expected.”
The 1973 ‘500’ was marked by tragedy and bad weather, with rain delaying the race for two days. Johncock started 11th and took his first lead on lap 40, but shortly after, teammate Swede Savage and crew member Armando Teran were involved in separate horrific crashes.
Johncock, who led 64 laps, was ahead of Bill Vukovich II when rain ended the race on lap 133. With the annual victory banquet canceled, Johncock and his team Patrick “celebrated” with burgers at a local Burger Chef restaurant after visiting Savage in the hospital.
Johncock was able to celebrate properly after his 1982 victory (pictured above), and Mears said he had never felt better finishing second.
“I remember thinking during the race that if we couldn’t win, it would be great to see him win,” Mears said.
Johncock said of replays of the duel with Mears: “It gives you goosebumps… (that) well, I did it again! »
After a successful stint as a sprint car racing driver, Johncock’s INDYCAR SERIES career began in 1964 with a dirt race in Springfield, Illinois, and it didn’t take long for him to showcase his talent. Johncock finished fifth as a rookie in the 1965 ‘500’ in a roadster (pictured above), in a race that saw five rookies finish in the top nine. He won for the first time nine races later at the Milwaukee Mile. Johncock also scored the first of his 20 career poles that year.
Johncock founded his own team in 1967, joining AJ Foyt as the sport’s sole owner/driver. Johncock won six races during this three-year period.
Johncock almost won a few more Indianapolis 500s. He finished third in 1976 and 1978, and fourth on two other occasions (1966 and 1974). In 1977, Johncock was leading Foyt, the eventual winner, with 16 laps to go when his car’s crankshaft broke. He had led 129 laps.
Johncock’s career in the INDYCAR SERIES spans 262 starts over 25 seasons. He actually retired twice, the first during the first week of “500” testing in 1985. He served on the IMS radio network for that race. Two years later, he replaced the injured Jim Crawford and finished 22nd.
Johncock’s last 500 was in 1992 after he retired on lap 60 due to engine failure. He finished 29th. His 24 starts in the race rank him fifth among all drivers, tied with Johnny Rutherford and Scott Dixon. Johncock has led 339 laps in the Indianapolis 500, which ranks 15th all time.
Johncock was one of the last living drivers to compete in front- and rear-engine Indy cars.
He also enjoyed success in stock car racing, competing in 21 of NASCAR’s premier division races. He made three starts in the Daytona 500, qualifying fifth in 1973. He had three top-five finishes in NASCAR, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in the 1973 Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway. He also won a pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway that season.
After Johncock’s second retirement, he focused on his lumber business in South Branch, Michigan, located 200 miles north of Detroit. Johncock led such a quiet life outside of racing that some employees were surprised to learn he had been a race car driver, let alone a two-time Indy 500 winner.
Johncock kept most of his racing memorabilia in his basement, although his two winner’s plaques share a wall with artwork of the 1982 victory, the race’s checkered flag and a stuffed deer’s head in his living room. He rarely participated in the “500” after his retirement.
“It was a job I had before,” Johncock said of racing. “Now I have another job.”
Johncock was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 1997 and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1999.
Johncock is survived by his wife, Sue; three daughters (Patsy, Pamilee, Peggy), two sons (Gordon Jr., Wally); two daughters-in-law (Traci, Valérie); and 12 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
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