Gordon Walter Johncock (August 5, 1936 – September 28, 2026) was an American racing driver. He won the 1973 and 1982 Indianapolis 500 and was the 1976 USAC Championship Car champion.
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Early years
Johncock was born in Hastings, Michigan, where his parents farmed, on August 5, 1936. He quit school while still in his teens and began competing at small tracks.
Career
Johncock initially began racing supermodifieds at Michigan tracks like the Old Hastings, Michigan Raceway, Capital City Speedway in Lansing, Michigan, the Grand Rapids Michigan Speedrome, and later at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Michigan. In 1963, Johncock won the inaugural National Open sprint car race at Williams Grove Speedway. Johncock began his USAC and CART/IndyCar career in 1964 when he drove for Weinberger Racing. He ran four races in 1964, and then went full-time in 1965.
Johncock's first USAC victory was scored at the Milwaukee Mile in August 1965. In 1966, he went winless in nine starts out of 16 races, so he left Gerhardt Racing at the end of the year to form his own team, Johncock Racing. His primary sponsor became Gilmore Broadcasting and Johncock was the only other "owner-driver" in IndyCar with the other being A. J. Foyt.
Although Johncock's team won six races in a three-year period (1967-1969), things went downhill when Johncock lost the Gilmore sponsorship at the end of 1970. Between 1970 and 1973, Johncock went winless, his team shuttered operations, and Johncock found himself in bankruptcy court.
Johncock's winless drought came to an end when he joined the STP/Patrick Racing team ahead of the 1973 USAC season. At the 1973 Indianapolis 500, a major accident at the start involving Salt Walther, coupled with two days of rain, postponed the race until late Wednesday afternoon. When the race started up again on Wednesday, Johncock's teammate Swede Savage was severely injured in a fiery crash on lap 58. A moment later, Armando Teran, a pit crew member on the same STP/Patrick team, was struck by a fire truck going northbound in the pits, and was fatally injured.
When the race resumed, Johncock took the lead on lap 73 and held it until rain fell again on the 133rd lap. Nearing 6 p.m., the race was red flagged and declared over. After a short and muted victory lane celebration, Johncock went to visit Savage at the hospital. Afterward, the celebratory victory banquet was cancelled. Instead, Johncock and his crew went to a local fast-food restaurant for hamburgers. Thirty three days after the race, Savage succumbed to his injuries.
Johncock won the USAC national championship in 1976, snatching the title from Johnny Rutherford, in the final race of the season, at Phoenix International Raceway. In 1976 and 1978 he finished third in the Indianapolis 500, and in 1977 he was leading A. J. Foyt when the car's crankshaft broke with sixteen laps to go. In 1979, he won the inaugural race contested under CART sanction, the Arizona Republic / Jimmy Bryan 150 at Phoenix.
First retirement
Johncock abruptly retired from IndyCar racing during the first week of practice for the 1985 Indianapolis 500. He served on the IMS Radio Network in 1985, but decided to return to racing in 1986. He planned to enter the 1986 Indianapolis 500, but his funding fell through. He ended up sitting out the race. He attempted another return in 1987. During the first week of time trials, Jim Crawford suffered serious injuries to his feet. Johncock was hired to drive in place of Crawford and qualified for the race.
Second retirement
Johncock completed a sixth-place finish in the 1991 Indianapolis 500, despite having flu-like symptoms the morning of the race. His final race was the 1992 Indianapolis 500, where he dropped out of the race with engine failure.
After his retirement, Johncock distanced himself from motorsports, and instead focused on his timber business in Michigan. He participated in a 2004 interview on ESPN Classic's "Big Ticket" review of the 1982 Indy 500.
In the interview, he admitted that his interest in racing was now limited, and was no longer his daily focus. In discussing the 1973 race, Johncock appeared to have made peace with the circumstances of the miserable memories that were associated with the rain-shortened race, while insisting that his car was undoubtedly the fastest on the track, led easily, but unfortunately was not in front at the time the red flag appeared.
Johncock chose not to attend the 2011 Indianapolis 500, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first race, despite the fact that all living former participants, and particularly living former winners, were invited. A year later, Speedway officials again invited him to attend the 2012 Indianapolis 500, and this time he did return to the Speedway and participated in the pre-race festivities.
During the lead up to the 2023 Indianapolis 500, officials from Borg-Warner invited Johncock back to Indianapolis in celebration of the 50th anniversary of his 1973 win. Johncock and his extended family took a ceremonial lap around the Speedway in a tour bus. After stopping off for pictures at the Yard of Bricks, Johncock got into the driver's seat of the bus and took his family for an impromptu second, and final lap around the track.
Awards
Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame, 1985
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame, 1997
International Motorsports Hall of Fame, 1999
Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2000
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, 2002
United States Auto Club Hall of Fame, 2025
Personal life and Death
Johncock married multiple times, with two failed marriages already by 1982. His longest marriage was to Suzanne Johncock, whom he married in 1990 until his death. Johncock had five children, all from his first first marriage.
After his permanent retirement from motorsport, Johncock opened a sawmill, and actively worked well into his 80s. Johncock remarked that the work kept him active. Johncock distanced himself from motorsport after his retirement, stating "I have no interest in going back. That was my job years ago. Now, I have a different job. To me, racing was a job".
Gordon Johncock died in his home in South Branch, Michigan, on September 28, 2026, at the age of 90.
Motorsports career results
American open-wheel racing
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
1 Johncock was listed as the primary entry and participated in practice; prior to qualifying, Johncock announced he was withdrawing, and announced a retirement from driving.
NASCAR
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
International Race of Champions
(key) (Bold – Pole position. * – Most laps led.)