Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, April 30, 1990                   TAG: 9004300137
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By RANDY KING SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: MARTINSVILLE                                  LENGTH: Medium

WIN CAN'T TAKE AWAY JOHNSON'S LOSS

None of the trips was any tougher than the one he made Sunday to Martinsville Speedway.

Although his stock car ended up in NASCAR's victory lane for the 128th time, Johnson wasn't in much of a mood to celebrate.

The mountain man had won a race, but he couldn't forget he had lost something much more - the son he and his wife Flossie never had.

Brent Kouthen, a young man who had spent much of the past 17 years living and working at Johnson's home and shop in Ingles Hollow, N.C., was killed Friday night in a car accident.

"It was a devastating loss for Flossie and I," said Johnson, fighting back tears as he talked.

"He had been with us since he was eight years old. Brent has been my little sidekick the last 17 years. He was just a perfect little boy."

Kouthen, 25, was fatally injured when his Ford Bronco, owned by Johnson, ran off a back road and struck a tree five miles from the team's shop.

Driver Geoff Bodine and the Johnson team learned of Kouthen's death Friday after returning from Martinsville, where they had won the Hanes 500 pole.

"It tore me up," Johnson said. "He's been with us [Flossie and himself] more than anybody over the years. We just thought the world of that boy. He was like a son to me.

"Flossie and I took care of him after his parents split up. Several years ago, he started helping us in the engine room. He helped build the motor that won this race."

Johnson, who wasn't at Martinsville on Friday or Saturday, said he considered not making the 100-mile trip to Martinsville on Sunday.

"I considered that a lot," he said. "It hurt both Flossie and I so bad that I didn't much want to come.

"But I could do nothing for him, so I thought that I would go on to the race track and maybe we could win for him. And that's what happened."

Crew chief Tim Brewer said the team dedicated Sunday's race to their lost friend.

"The win was nice, but the weekend was bittersweet one," Brewer said.

"This race went to Brent Kouthen. He's been with Junior and Flossie for years and I watched the kid grow up.

"It's just unfortunate. We're all sorry. We just hate it. We can take losing races occasionally, but we can't ever take losing our people, especially the young ones.

"It's hard to give them up."

Johnson said a service will be held for Kouthen today at a small church in Wilkes County. Kouthen's body then will be flown back to his native Detroit for burial.

"Things like this make racing cars seem like nothing," Johnson said. "If you lose a race one week, there's always next week to come back.

"I'm just sorry that Brent Kouthen won't get that second chance." B6 B1