Al Johnson Remembered
By: Stan Kalwasinski
(January 10, 2011) - Justice, Ill.For 18 straight racing seasons, Al Johnson was among the top ten drivers in late model stock car competition at Chicagoland’s Santa Fe Speedway. Johnson, 68, passed away on Wednesday, January 5, of an apparent heart attack at his home here.
Johnson was a two-time late model track champion at Santa Fe, winning the titles at the “track of clay” in 1981 and, again, in 1983. Johnson was also the speedway’s sportsman division titlist in 1962 after starting his Santa Fe career in 1960. Johnson became the first driver in Santa Fe history to win both a sportsman and late model stock car championship.
Commenting about his early racing exploits to motorsports writer Tony Baranek after his ’83 title, Johnson said, “In 1961, we built a sportsman car, but one of the drivers, (former Santa Fe champion) Ken Boyer, talked us into running late model. We didn’t do too well. In 1962, we went back into the sportsman division, and that’s the year we won it all. From 1963 on, it’s been all late model."
The 1962 Santa Fe souvenir program listed Johnson from Cicero and driving a 1952 Oldsmobile No. 2A. Johnson won 10 feature races on his way to the sportsman crown in ‘62, far and above his nearest competitor. The following year, he was a late model driver, wheeling a ’57 Chevy. Prior to going into the service, Johnson had a fast Chevelle convertible with Johnson setting a one-lap qualifying track record on Santa Fe’s quarter-mile dirt track, clicking off a lap of 15.65 seconds on July 31, 1966.
Out of the military, Johnson was 19th in the late model standings in 1969 and 16th in 1970. 1971 saw Johnson begin his string of 18 consecutive “top 10” finishes in the final point standings by taking ninth in the season-end points tally. He was third the following year (1972). In 1973, Johnson garnered several feature victories on Santa Fe’s half-mile oval, including the Mid Season Championship race, wheeling his Chevy Nova convertible to the win. Three of his four feature wins in 1974 came on Santa Fe’s half-mile.
From 1973 through 1980, Johnson, always an innovator, never finished worse than sixth in Santa Fe’s late model standings definitely a picture of consistency. During the 1970’s, Johnson also tried his hand at late model racing at various area paved tracks. His paved track experience began years before as Johnson was among the entries for the annual Tony Bettenhausen Memorial race event at Illiana Motor Speedway (Schererville, Ind.) in 1965.
1981 was Johnson’s “year to shine” as he captured the track championship for Santa Fe’s very competitive late model division. He scored 11 feature race wins in his “Silver Bullet” late model on his way to the crown, stopping Tony Izzo’s championship streak at four. The “Silver Bullet” tag came from Johnson’s habit of putting paint less sheetmetal on his car.
Reflecting on his winning ride, Johnson said, “We put a lot of hard work into this car. Except for the chassis, this is a car we worked on. It wasn’t thrown together in some race shop and brought out ready for the driver to just jump in and race. We built this car from start to finish.”
Johnson was third in the final standings in 1982, but came back in 1983 to win his second late model track title at Santa Fe. Another “Silver Bullet” No. 3J, which had become Johnson’s trademark number, carried Johnson to seven main event scores. 1984 saw Johnson drop to fourth in the standings, but he equaled his career-best of 11 feature wins in one year again at the ‘Fe.
It was the usual top ten finishes in the final points for Johnson at Santa Fe from 1985 through 1988. During this period, Johnson, a mechanic by trade, went into business as a Lake Michigan charter boat captain, earning the nickname “Captain AJ.” In 1989, Johnson did not finish in the “top 10” in Santa Fe’s final standings for the first time since 1971. He finished 11th. The next few years saw Johnson not among the “top 20” at Santa Fe, gradually winding down his racing program before the track closed after the 1995 season.
Johnson returned to racing around 2007, competing at Indiana’s Shadyhill Speedway. His son, Joe, joined him to make it a father and son combo in the track’s super street division. Johnson had not lost the winning touch as he won a couple of feature races in 2007. In recent years, Johnson had competed a few times on the Illinois Vintage Racing circuit and planned to race more with the group this year. His younger brother, Jay, was also a Santa Fe competitor, beginning his own career in the mid 1960’s and going on to capture Santa Fe’s sportsman title in 1971.
Johnson is survived by his sons, Joe and Jon; his mother, Helen, brother, Jay, and sisters, Helen, Linda and JoAnna and beloved friend and companion, Diana Clement.
Another win at Santa Fe Al Johnson is congratulated by starter Jack Minster after a feature victory on August 9, 1975.

In his Chevy Nova, Al Johnson posts a victory at Santa Fe on May 22, 1971.
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Al Johnson
I would like to share the eulogy that I gave at the Memorial service for my close friend.
Al Johnson was a true Champion on and off the Race track. About 4 years ago the late Jan Gabriel was tutoring me on Stock Car driver introductions. When we were finished, I asked him out of all the hundreds of drivers you have introduced, who’s the one that stands out in your mind ? He smiled and he immediately said . Al Johnson ! He was so popular with the Fans, He always received a huge ovation. He was the 1st driver to win a Sportsman and a Late Model Championship at Santa Fe Speedway. In the history of the track there were only 2 other competitors who achieved this. He also was an innovator. He was the 1st driver to win Features and Championships using an automatic Transmission.
One year he figured out how to take cut tires and sew them up and win races with them. At first the big money teams were laughing at him, but I was there the night that those same teams who were laughing at him pulled out on the track with sewed up tires. I saw Al standing at the edge of the Track, with his arms folded with a big grin on his face, He indeed had the last laugh!
In the 70’s and 80’s I drove Al’s 2nd team car several times. The deal was that if his car broke down early in the night I would have to get out of the extra car. I was driving for him during a holiday race on the big half mile track. He was leading the point standings. We were in the same heat race and his car broke down. When we returned to the pit area I jumped out of the car and started to get the seat ready for Al to drive. He casually walked over to me and said what are you doing, I’m not going to drive this car. Lou and I are going to take the transmission out of this car and put it in my other car. I said you don’t have time there’s one more race then the Feature is next, they changed that transmission in less then 10 minutes and he started on the front row and won the 50 lapper. He was always thinking, had he drove the second car, he would have started dead last because he didn’t qualify it. Al didn’t have a lot of money but he always got the most out of his equipment. In 2009 as I prepared for the 1st ever Vintage Dirt Nationals, I remembered what Jan Gabriel said about Al and I needed him in the starting field. I called him and he agreed to come out of retirement to drive Lil John Provenzanos 1961 Chevy. Al’s close friend Sign painter Will “Jive” Jarvis lettered the car that read Al Johnson “Designated Shoe” When I saw that I went and retrieved my camera. It was so cool! For those of you who don’t know what that means in auto racing. It’s a driver who can get in any car and win with it! That certainly described Al. The day of the Dirt Nationals qualifying was over and Al Johnson was on the Front row. It was just like old times. I introduced the drivers and when I got to the front row, Al received a huge welcome and applause, one that I will remember for the rest of my life. I would like everybody to think of an Al Johnson story today. I know that it will give us all a needed smile in his memory.
Thanks for the neat memories Al, your friend Art “Fireball” Fehrman
Al Johnson one of the true racing legends and champions of the Chicago area.