Junior Johnson: Brave in Life

Junior Johnson: Brave in Life by Tom Higgins. paperback edition. ISBN: 9781893618008.

Courage, determination, and willingness to take risks have made Junior Johnson a legend on and off the race track for over four decades. Celebrated as "The Last American Hero" by novelist Tom Wolfe, portrayed on the big screen by actor Jeff Bridges, Junior was named the greatest NASCAR driver of all time by Sports Illustrated magazine in 1998. The Johnson family business was making and hauling moonshine whiskey, and Junior quickly developed a talent for driving fast, taking chances, and never getting caught. This background shaped the fearless win-or-crash-trying attitude that defined Juniors NASCAR career. He won the Daytona 500 in 1960, took a run at Indy racing in 1963, helped establish Winstons sponsorship of NASCAR in 1971, and as a team owner won six Winston Cup Championships in ten years. Junior Johnson: Brave in Life reveals the dedication, intelligence, and humor of one of racings most colorful figures, and uncovers a history of NASCAR and American culture rarely told.