SEPTEMBER 30, 2026

FROM THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY RELEASE:

Gordon Johncock, whose stirring drive late in the 1982 Indianapolis 500 earned 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.

Born Aug. 5, 1936, in Hastings, Michigan, the lifelong resident of the state was the 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 was the most thrilling to that point, prompting renowned television broadcaster Jim McKay to claim he’d “never seen anything like it.” Johncock masterfully covered Mears’ last-lap passing attempt in Turn 1, then outran the 1979 race winner to the finish line. Their margin at the checkered flag was a then-record .16 of a second, still the seventh closest ever.

Johncock later said he was fortunate to win as he hit an unfamiliar bump low in Turn 3 on the last lap that pushed his car up the track and gave Mears an opportunity to gain ground.

“I pretty near lost it,” he told The Indianapolis Star in 2016. “Ask Rick; he saw it (because) he was right there.

“I had never run that low before in Turn 3, but I knew I had to if I was going to be able to stay in the throttle. It was just a little rougher down there than I expected.”

The 1973 “500” was one of tragedy and poor weather, with rain postponing the race two days. Johncock started 11th and grabbed his first lead on Lap 40, but soon after teammate Swede Savage and crew member Armando Teran were involved in separate horrifying accidents.

Johncock, who led 64 laps, was in front of Bill Vukovich II when rain ended the race on Lap 133. With the annual Victory Banquet canceled, Johncock and his Patrick crew “celebrated” with hamburgers at a local Burger Chef restaurant after visiting Savage in the hospital.

Johncock was able to properly celebrate following his 1982 victory, and Mears said he never felt so good finishing second.

“I remember thinking during the race that if we can’t win it would be great to see him win,” Mears said.

Said Johncock of watching replays of the duel with Mears, “It gives you goosebumps … (that) well, I did it again!”

(Getty Images/Formula1.com)

George Russell (No. 63 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team) survived a late challenge from Max Verstappen (No. 3 Oracle Red Bull Racing) to secure his third victory of the season in a dramatic Azerbaijan Grand Prix that saw six drivers retire, including Lando Norris (No. 1 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team). Russell came under immense pressure from Verstappen on the final laps and ultimately crossed the line just one tenth ahead, denying the Dutchman what could’ve been his first win of the season. Isack Hadjar (No. 6 Oracle Red Bull Racing) was third to clinch a double podium for Red Bull, with Charles Leclerc (No. 16 Scuderia Ferrari) and Kimi Antonelli (No. 12 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team) taking P4 and P5 – the Italian made the most of the chaos in front to improve from P16 to the points. Watch the Race Highlights here. (Thank you to Formula1.com)

Editor's Note: This is our dearly departed billboard, which we had at Road America for several years. Peter gifted the phrase "America's National Park of Speed" to the track, which now uses it proudly in all of its communications. -WG

Editor's Note: Click on "Next 1 Entries" at the bottom of this page to see previous issues. - WG