Junior Johnson, “The Last American Hero,” dies at 88
JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer
NASCAR Hall of Famer Junior Johnson has died at 88. His death was announced Friday by NASCAR. Johnson honed his driving skills as a moonshine runner in North Carolina before he began competing in NASCAR. He won 50 races as a driver and 132 as a car owner. He was also immortalized as “The Last American Hero” by author Tom Wolfe in a 1965 article for Esquire. Johnson was an inaugural member of NASCAR’s Hall of Fame.