By Shawn Brouse
Mechanicsburg -According to published reports, the winner of the inaugural Williams Grove Speedway National Open in 1963, Gordon Johncock of South Branch, Michican, has died.
A two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, Johncock was 90.
Johncock scored the 1973 and 1982 Indianapolis 500 during his career.
He was the 1976 USAC National Championship Indy Car series champion.
The Michigander also spent a limited time during his career competing in what is now the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
At Williams Grove Speedway, Johncock was 27-years old when he towed East to the track to compete in the very first National Open, a race that will celebrate its 64th running at the oval this Saturday night.
Long before sprint cars or wings were prevalent in the region, Johncock strapped a wing atop his machine for that inaugural National Open.
Complete with a picture of a quacking duck on its sideboard, Johncock’s car was dubbed “The Honker.”
With his hometown of Hastings, Michigan and his name placed on the other side panel of his wing, Johncock went on to win that day at Williams Grove followed by Dick Good of Mishawalka, Indiana; Lou Blaney, Hartford, Ohio; Henry Jacoby, Franklin; and Bud Folkenroth, Seven Valleys.
After retiring from the sport of auto racing in 1992, Johncock mostly withdrew from motorsports and focused on his Michigan logging and timber business.
The staff and management of Williams Grove Speedway mourn the loss of the original National Open champion, Gordon Johncock, while remembering a career that spanned decades across the nation while reaching the pinnacle of the sport.
Saturday’s 40-lap J & S Classics National Open at Williams Grove Spedway will pay $75,000 to win.
Keep up to date on all the latest speedway news and information by visiting the oval’s official website at www.williamsgrove.com or by visiting the oval on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
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