Junior Johnson Nearly Replaced Darrell Waltrip With Dale Earnhardt 

Junior was a slow walking, slow talking country boy but smart as can be. He got the Winston company to sponsor the whole series when Nascar was broke. He got manufacturers back into racing and for a time you had great rivalries between Dodge, Plymouth, Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Ford, Mercury all with factory teams. He gave away sponsorships, cars, engines, tires, drivers and crews at a time when other racers couldnt get sponsors. Many big names in Nascar owed their start to Junior.

Junior Johnson was one the best all around, great driver, great mechanic, and great team owner.

Junior Johnson didn't have a big effect on Nascar. Junior Johnson Was Nascar! When Nascar was about to be bankrupt. Junior made a call to an executive at RJ Reynolds and got 55 million dollars to invest into Nascar. That's when you started seeing it being called Winston Cup. Everyone should thank Junior for giving them a career in racing. Good ole country boy from the North Carolina mountains that changed the world with just one phone call. Greatest of all time... Next to David Pearson

Neil Bonnett wasn't a bad consolation prize, he did pretty well in the #12.

It's amazing how much of an impact Junior Johnson had on NASCAR in so many different ways. Driver, owner, mechanic, businessman, honest-to-god moonshiner, etc. He definitely belonged in the inaugural Hall of Fame class. Every fan of the sport owes this man a tip of the cap.

Junior Johnson was a great driver AND Crew Chief, and like Dale, would do anything to help up-coming drivers and race teams, along with putting team sponsors with the right fit of driver and team owners! Super nice ALL AROUND GUY!

Junior Johnson IMO never gets the full credit he deserves and the 21st century NASCAR fan would be better served to learn all they can about one of the unsung heroes of stock car racing.

Dale Earnhardt and Neil Bonnet on the same team would have pretty cool.

Junior Johnson and the Holly Farms Mystery 427, the original badass of NASCAR.

At a time when they needed a Junior Johnson thank god he was there. I know he saved Nascar with title sponsorship and driver sponsorship. Before you type look! Unselfishly putting funded teams to compete with his for races and championships. But he also saved Nascar France's ass with Winston sponsor. We need him now!!!!!

Junior and Earnhardt wouldve been the most chaotic team in Nascar history i think. The man who "is the reason for half the rules" and the Intimidator who was just as likely to wreck you as he was to pass you clean.

Junior Johnson was behind Chevrolet getting back into Cup racing in 1971 with Charlie Glotzbach and really went to town the next year with Bobby Allison. Wasn't he behind RJ Reynolds sponsoring the series as well? The man is still a legend and NASCAR owes him more than maybe they would be willing to admit

Junior Johnson always spoke slowly and softly, and it belied his intelligence. But he was a smart businessman, a smart owner and a fine driver. He doesn't get the recognition he deserves for his contributions to NASCAR.

Very interesting how this all fell into place. Junior you sure were respected and had a very big effect on on the sport. Great story

2:05 I went and put Wrangler in Darrell's. But Wrangler didn't want Darrell so I just gave the contract to Childress and told them to work it out. " I had Darrell in his prime. He proved to our side and his side that he was the best driver at that given time and may very well have been the best to ever drive a race car ".

Thank Junior,been NASCAR fan for 45 years its cool to hear a little behind the scenes...cool

Of all of the many things which Junior Johnson was good at, another one is brokering deals, and finding the right parties for any given deal. He was highly and deeply insightful man, and was behind the scenes of many great partnerships in the sport, and surely outside the sport as well.

Fantastic story and I’m sure there are a lot more to be told that not many people know. Junior Johnson did so much for NASCAR and very much deserves his name to be associated with it.

That was awesome. I could listen to these legends all day. 😁

Slow talking don't mean slow thinking ! Jr. was a legion.

What a time. Having to turn drivers and sponsors away and getting them hooked up with other teams. Talk about looking at the big picture. Not to mention getting Winston over to NASCAR.

I miss Jr Johnson he was a hell of a man built his own stuff and it worked really well and he ran moonshine hell of outlaw

Just found your channel and going back through your old uploads. I hadn't heard this story before. I'm looking forward to hearing all the stories I never have. Thank you for what you do.

One my favorites Darrell waltrips story’s

Totally different version than the one Richard Childress told on Dale Jr Download a few months ago.

A combination of Earnhardt and Waltrip or Earnhardt and Bonnet, when Junior Johnson was at that level, would have been amazing. Even better would have been the three of them. The only problem would have been the intense rivalry. If Junior Johnson could control it and keep them together.....

So, so interesting and this is a man that spent a year in Federal Prison for moonshine as well and he helped create almost all of the biggest names in NASCAR.

Oml professional and probably the best interviews I've heardin2021

Junior Johnson was the Godfather

So basically Junior Johnson is the reason why Earnhardt was a seven time champion not a one time champion who fizzled out.

People do not operate this way anymore. If they can't get something out of the deal they waste no thought on it. This man thought of other's as a reflex action & effortlessly helped more than we could know. Ripple's of good came from Jr. Johnson.

So Earnhardt and Childress better have blessed their blessings and Bill Elliott cause Junior could have been selfish and took all the sponsors and money,but he helped other teams and even nascar,cause he could have got RJ Reynolds too.Junior Johnson was a awrsome dude,

I'm glad that came from JJ! DW was every bit as good of a driver as Earnhardt! I think depending on the situation, they could both beat each other in a one on one. Both excellent drivers! Nascar wins always have and will be team and week to week situationally dependent.

There’s an alternative universe where Dale Earnhardt drove the 11 and darrell Waltrip drove the 3

Wow, all I can say what an interesting interview!

Teams lookin out for Teams, what a concept.

Back in those days that real racing nascar has killed it over the years

RIP Junior. He was the legend who was a driving force who truly took care of his own. The France family would a bunch of nobodys' and should still be kissing his ass for saving NASCAR.

RIP Junior!

And he also helped Hendrick cause alot of engine stuff that junior developed went to Rick Hendrick when Junior went to ford.

The last American Hero

To think Junior Johnson had more sponsorship and money offered to him than he could use! I'm sure NASCAR owners wish they had that problem nowadays.

The coolest cat in NASCAR ever ever!

Awesome video. I enjoyed it.

Cale and Darrell were my 2 favorite drivers back then.

I really miss those days

Then Junior wanted him in 87 but Budweiser said no and that's how Terry got there.

Anyone here after his death?

So Coors was assigned to Johnson instead of Bud what was Harry Melling's plan if Coors was chosen to sponsored Neil Bonnett's team instead of Bill Elliott's team

Junior Johnson has to be over 90 years old he’s a legend.

Griffdawg, if you are watching this What if......

Junior was such a great wheeler dealer. How many owners would give away so much talent just to see the sport prosper?

Tell em Mr. Johnson

Sounds like everything worked out the best for everybody involved

It's hard to believe (though true) that Earnhardt and Childress ever had a falling out.

That’s an impressive story

Great Period in stock car racing. Today’s follow the leader, cookie cutter cars and drivers have made of mockery of the sport

In my opinion I think Earnhardt would have maybe lasted 3 years with junior Johnson. Don’t get me wrong I think it’s cool that in a different dimension of time Earnhardt was junior Johnson driver. Also Neil bonnet was to drive the coor’s #12 Monte Carlo. I feel that Childress made Earnhardt and Earnhardt made Childress. You have to remember that Richard Childress drove as owner/driver for over a decade which means he had to make his cars tougher to make them last, the super team’s had another car ready to go, where as the owner/drivers had a little selection that had to last. Which I think Childress building cars tough enough to last complimented Earnhardt’s driving style.

Catch the scene Vault podcast with Rick Houston and Steve Waid catch up interview with iconic NASCAR driver Crew Chief and team owner retro archives and many many more

I don't think Dale would've won anymore races than what Darrell did, Junior didn't do wrong with taking DW they won what 3 championships together. The funny think is I read in DW's book I think that he told DW to go around Earnhardt one time...DW couldn't get around him and Junior comes back on the radio and says Darrell I told you to go around that SOB. LOL.

Too Bad Dale didn't race for the Wood Brothers that would of been a better combination but I don't think Earnhardt really liked racing Fords. You could just tell from the look in his eyes he didn't want to race a Ford but looked to me Bud Moore was a easy going guy to be around. If he would of maybe stayed for another 2 years he would of eventually started to win a lot more races in a Ford it just takes time to get comfortable being with a different racing team.

Nascar's hillbilly Godfather, the puppet master! Junior thought the world of Dale Sr, but after Sr wrecked DW ( and himself ) at Richmond, Junior didn't want anything to do with Earnhardt after that. As far as Junior was concerned it was a very dirty move & he thought Dale was damn lucky DW wasn't injured, or worse. You could easily tell from Sr's post-race interview that Dale knew he had stepped in it this time, especially since Junior had done so much for his career 😕

I hate to be a stickler but Dale drove for Bud in 82 and 83 not 83 and 84. 84 is when Ricky Rudd about killed himself at Daytona in Bud’s car and then had to drive with his eyes taped open the next week at Richmond I think it was.

Big money is part of the problem. Big money brought in high tech, high tech pushed out the back yard racer.

And then Darrell would have went to Childress and then he would've been the #1 Chevrolet driver,and then he could've been 7 time champion

That's old school. When a man was a man

Dale and Richard didn’t have any issues. They were best friends from early on and they couldn’t afford to get good cars. So Richard respected his friend enough to tell him hey go get you a good ride because I’m not giving you what you deserve. All this time Richard and dale are still best friends and they are hanging out multiple times a week. That’s why they were attached at the hip til the day dale died. There brains operated on the same wave length. Richard absolutely admired and looked up to dale even though he was the car owner. Dale himself corrected junior in an interview saying they never “fell out” as junior has been going around years saying. He doesn’t understand the loyalty they had to each other. They both lost dads at an early age and they had that special connection that all of us have with that one person that’s just singing to our sheet of music. Also dale didn’t do 10% of what they said. They just got pissed dale brought a piece of crap car in and beat them with it and so they started all of this stuff that he was wrecking everybody. It actually bothered dale a lot that they called him the intimidator. Dale was a big heart softy. The reason he smiled in interviews after he got in a wreck with somebody is he hated confrontations and conflict. The smile was a nervous smile. People don’t actually know the real dale. They know the dale the media created to get views.

Budweiser hater Sr. Yet Jr. Was sponsored by them in his Part Time run in 1999

yea sr. biggest downfall he was hard on stuff. he went for 1st or broke. i feel he won more chamionships if he let off more. but then u look at Mark martin... never really pushed it and he never won title. sometimes u gotta give it all.

No. Your absolutely wrong. You trying to put words in Juniors mouth. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES was he going to replace Darrell. EVER !!! Yea Dale wanted to drive for him. Who didn't. Junior held all the cards back then. Now unless I heard him miss speak he said he put wrangler with Darrell and Coors with Neil until Budweiser came calling. So he got Dale with Richard and wrangler and everybody was happy.

Such a Bullshit title.

So Coors was assigned to Johnson instead of Bud what was Harry Melling's plan if Coors was chosen to sponsored Neil Bonnett's team instead of Bill Elliott's team