Junior Johnson Eager For Legends Race At Bristol Motor Speedway

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Junior Johnson smiled as he glanced around the sea of suites, seats and concrete at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Johnson once ruled this half-mile concrete monster, winning 21 races as a car owner and once as a driver.
Much has changed about Bristol in recent years, yet Johnson still has a comfort zone.

“I know this place from the past,” said Johnson, who participated in a test at BMS Tuesday. “There’s nothing here that I fear.”

Tonight’s Saturday Night Special at BMS will feature Johnson and 11 other legendary BMS winners. The inaugural Late Model event will be televised live on ESPN2, beginning at 6 p.m.

While nine-time BMS winner Rusty Wallace ordered up a new car just for this race, Johnson opted for the old-school approach in a Late Model car owned by his son, Robert.

“I ran seven laps down at Tri County Speedway the other day when my boy was practicing,” Johnson said, referring to a short track in Hudson, N.C. “That was the first time I had been in a race car in 45 years.”

Johnson, 77, came away from his Tri County experience confident in his instincts and skill-set.

“It felt the same as it did when I quit driving,” Johnson said. “I know how the Bristol track used to feel, and I will get the feeling again once the race starts.
“It’s sort a re-education for me to see how things are compared to when I was out there. I can’t see how it could have changed much.”

Jack Ingram, one of the stars in the old Busch (now Nationwide) Series, has competed in Late Model events at Greeneville-Pickens, Newport and Motor Mile Speedway in recent years.
The man who earned the nickname of “Iron Man” for his tenacious driving style and endurance didn’t notice a big change in the personality of BMS during two recent test sessions.

“It seems like the lower groove isn’t quite as steep as it once was, but that’s the only difference I can tell in the track beside the color of it,” the 72-year-old Ingram said.
“The last time I raced here was around 1991 in a Busch car, and the surface was asphalt. People used to think you had to have a cement car and all that stuff, but those people never could tell what a cement car was.”

Like nearly all current NASCAR drivers, Ingram welcomed the 2007 makeover at BMS which featured a new concrete surface and variable banking.

“I’ve watched the [Bristol] races, and I think it’s fine,” Ingram said. “If people want come to see wrecks instead of a race, I don’t understand that.”

Drivers now more have room to make clean passes at Bristol, yet Ingram said he enjoyed the old style of racing.

“I think the wrecking part is more the fault of the officiating than the driver. They don’t seem to want drivers to rough up each other now,” Ingram said.
“When drivers like me, Junior and the late Dale Earnhardt came up, that’s the way we raced. We settled things on the track. Now the [NASCAR] officials seem to settle things. That takes quite a bit of the way from the fans.”

Ingram, who will drive his familiar copper-colored No. 11 Chevrolet tonight, has been surprised by the fan reaction to the “legends” concept.

“The phone has been ringing ringing non-stop,” Ingram said. “I’ve had calls from as far away as Wisconsin trying to get tickets.”

While other drivers were busy testing at BMS Tuesday morning, Jimmy Spencer spent more than an hour talking to fellow legends such as Ingram, L.D. Ottinger and Johnson.

“It’s pretty special for me to come back and race with these guys,” said Spencer, who won a nationwide race at BMS in 1997. “The sport has changed, but there are still so many great memories.”

Despite the outpouring of interest from fans and media sources across the country, Spencer isn’t sure whether the concept of legends racing can spread.

“It’s something that could happen,” he said. “This race costs a lot of money to put on, though.
“I don’t think you can run these cars on the big tracks, but maybe you could at smaller tracks like Richmond. Hopefully things will work out.”

Johnson is eager to try out the new and improved BMS.

“When this track was first built, it was like you were going down a hill off the first and second turn,” Johnson said. “The surface used to be bumpy and humpy. Now, it’s lot smoother and well-rounded.”

Johnson feels that fans will enjoy tonight’s high-speed history lesson.

“I think it will be a big success,” Johnson said. “They’ve taken a lot a little speed out of the cars to make sure nobody gets hurt, but it’s going to be a competitive thing.”
“I figure my setup is as good as what anybody else has.”

David Pearson, who ranks second in career Sprint Cup wins with 105, was forced to pull out of tonight’s race because of lingering back pain. His son, Larry, a two-time Nationwide Series champion, will drive instead.

agregory@bristolnews.com|(276) 645-2544