Gordon Johncock, the legendary open-wheel driver who won the Indianapolis 500 twice and claimed the 1976 USAC National Championship, passed away peacefully at his home in South Branch, Michigan, on September 28, 2026. He was 90 years old.
Born on August 5, 1936, in Hastings, Michigan, Johncock began driving at just five years old on his family’s farm behind the wheel of a John Deere tractor. He started racing Midwest super-modifieds in the late 1950s and captured his first 500-lap race on a quarter-mile oval in Galesburg, Michigan, in 1958. In 1964, he set a half-mile world record at Winchester Speedway before making his debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1965. As part of a historic rookie class that included Mario Andretti and Al Unser, Johncock finished fifth in a front-engine roadster, marking the last time a front-engine car finished in the top five at the race.
Johncock went on to compete in one of the most competitive eras of Indy car racing, going head-to-head against icons such as A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Johnny Rutherford, and Rick Mears. Driving for car owner U.E. “Pat” Patrick, Johncock achieved his greatest triumphs at Indianapolis. In 1973, with chief mechanic George Bignotti, he led 64 laps to win a rain-shortened, three-day event. Nine years later in 1982, guided by chief mechanic George Huening, Johncock won his second Indy 500 by holding off Rick Mears in a thrilling duel, crossing the finish line just 0.16 seconds ahead in what was then the closest finish in the race’s history…