THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 9, 1995 TAG: 9504090205
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
The new brick mansion sits on a ridge just east of the Wilkes-Yadkin county line, well off the road but impossible not to notice, with its two stories, twin wings, and double columns framing the front doorway.
It's about two weeks from being finished, and then it will become the new home of Junior and Lisa Johnson and their 19-month-old son, Robert Glen III. Another child is on the way.
By all accounts - including his own - family life agrees with the 63-year-old ex-moonshiner, ex-race car driver and current owner of the No. 11 Ford Thunderbird driven by Brett Bodine.
``Junior is crazy about that little boy,'' an old friend says. ``He's gettin' around like the devil. He's a stout little fella, just like Junior.''
It's been a hectic recent past for Johnson, with a divorce from ex-wife Flossie and remarriage in 1992, and open heart surgery and a baby boy in 1993. But things have settled down. And it would seem that about the only thing not purring along at full song in Johnson's life is his race team.
Of course, Johnson, Bodine and crew chief Mike Beam are quick to quell any notion that there's any major problem. It's just a matter of getting in sync, they said.
And after qualifying on the outside pole for today's First Union 400 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Bodine could go a long way toward proving that point with a strong performance.
``I think we got a good shot at winning this race,'' Johnson said from the lounge of his team's hauler. ``We're not hoping we can win. We think we can win this race. Brett is doing fine. I think he's going to be somebody we want to race with for some time.''
Despite the fact that the team was fined $40,000 for having an illegal engine at Daytona and lost its jack-man in a fatal car accident soon afterward, ``Things have really gone pretty decent all year,'' Beam said. ``It's just a learning curve right now. I'm trying to learn Brett and he's trying to learn me, and I think we're on the same wavelength now.''
``We started off pretty dismal the first four or five races, but Mike and I are communicating better and we've improved in all areas of the program,'' Bodine said. ``The thing at Daytona was a big setback for the engine department. They had spent all their time and development on that combination for restrictor plate engines. All the time it takes to recover from that is taking away time from the unrestricted engine program, so it hurts you across the board as far as development and programs in the engine room.''
But there are some who think Junior's best days are behind him because he's no longer as committed as he was between 1976 and 1985, when he won three Winston Cup championships with Cale Yarborough (1976-77-78) and three with Darrell Waltrip (1981-82-85).
And one of those doubters is Waltrip himself.
``1986 was the last year I drove for him, and the reason I'm not driving for him today is because he wouldn't step up to the next level,'' Waltrip said. ``And he never has. And that's the whole problem. People. Cars. Technology. He wasn't willing to do that. He's just hangin' in there. That's about it.''
But Beam disputes that notion.
``Junior lets us do whatever we want to,'' he said. ``Whatever you want, you buy. If he finds somebody else has got something and I ain't got it, that's when he gets mad.''
``My attitude hasn't changed,'' Johnson said. ``I can't put in them 18- to 20-hour days like I used to, but I put a lot of time into it. I'd be a fool to say I don't enjoy being at home with my son a lot and my family, because I do. But I got a job to do and I'm going to do that, too. All we're lacking right now is just a little luck. All the tools and the people are in place.''
``There's no question Junior's started another area in his life,'' Bodine said. ``He's got a family - a young boy and another child on the way. So there's no question he's reprioritized things in his life. But that doesn't mean you can't be dedicated and concerned about your business and race team.''
As for retirement, Johnson dismisses the idea. ``I don't think about that,'' he said. ``The only thing I don't like about (racing) is being away from my home and family.'' ILLUSTRATION: Junior Johnson the race team owner also has had slow going - not
a cause for happiness.
by CNB