Danny Johnson (racing driver)

Last updated
Danny Johnson
Born (1960-03-03) March 3, 1960 (age 64) [1]
Phelps, New York
Debut season1979 Canandaigua Speedway
Car number27J
Championships14
Wins600+
Championship titles
1988 New York State Fair Champion [2] [3]
1989, 1992, 1997, 1999 Mr. Dirt Champion
1996, 1999, 2000, 2010 Mr. Dirt 358 Modified Champion
2012 Race of Champions Dirt Modified Tour
Last updated on: July 31, 2024.

Danny Johnson (born March 3, 1960) is an American Dirt Modified racing driver who has earned over 600 feature event victories at 55 different speedways in 13 states and two Canadian provinces. [4] [5]

Contents

Racing career

Danny Johnson began his racing career in 1979 with a win at the Canandaigua Speedway NY, and claimed his 200th victory in 2022 at the Outlaw Speedway in Dundee, New York. [4] He has also competed and been victorious at the east coast race tracks from Florida to Canada, including Lebanon Valley Speedway NY, Orange County Fair Speedway NY, Ransomville Speedway NY, and Weedsport Speedway NY. [1] [6] [7]

Johnson captured the 1997 Super Dirt Week 300 on the Syracuse Mile and won the companion 358 modified title twice, first in 1997, and then in 2006. He was crowned the overall Mr. DIRT champion in 1989, 1992, 1997 and again in 1999, and was inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame in 2019. [5] [8]

Personal life

Johnson comes from a racing family. As he was growing up, his father, Milt, was racing at Central New York tracks and building race engines. Eventually his older brother Alan got into the driver's seat, and in 2018, Daniel Johnson, Danny's son, began the third generation in racing. [5] [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super DIRTcar Series</span>

The Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds is a North American big block modified touring series currently promoted by World Racing Group. The series primarily races on dirt ovals in the Northeastern United States and Canada along with select dates in Florida and North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stewart Friesen</span> Canadian racing driver (born 1983)

Stewart J. Friesen is a Canadian-American professional dirt track and stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 52 Toyota Tundra for his own team, Halmar Friesen Racing, and part-time at local dirt tracks across New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and elsewhere in the United States, driving the No. 44 car for HFR.

Timothy 'Tim' Fuller is an American Dirt Modified and Late Model racing driver. Fuller has 260 feature events wins from 45 tracks in 14 states, two Canadian provinces and Australia.

Danny O’Brien is a Canadian Dirt Modified racing driver. Currently credited with 226 career wins at 11 tracks in two countries, he has captured 14 track titles at Brockville Speedway, ON.

William "Billy" Decker is an American dirt modified and late model racing driver. He has captured 18 track titles at six different tracks, and won at 35 different tracks in nine US states and two Canadian provinces.

Patrick "Pat" Ward is an American Dirt Modified racing driver, currently credited with over 145 career wins at 17 tracks in New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

Patrick "Pat" O'Brien is a retired Canadian Dirt Modified racing driver. Credited with more than 185 wins at seven speedways in two countries, he earned four Mr. DIRT 358 series crowns. He has captured 22 track championships, including 10 titles at Can-Am Speedway in Northern New York.

Alan Johnson is an American Dirt Modified racing driver who has earned over 560 feature event at 39 tracks in seven states and two Canadian provinces.

Stephen "Steve" Paine is an American Dirt Modified racing driver who has earned over 325 feature event at 26 tracks. He captured 32 track championships, including 9 straight at the Canandaigua Speedway NY, from 2000 to 2008.

Jack Johnson was an American dirt modified racing driver. A six-time Mr. Dirt Champion and four-time Super DIRT Series Champion, Johnson won 428 Modified feature races at 35 tracks in 10 states and two Canadian provinces.

Joe Plazek is a Canadian stock car racing driver. He was a three time New York State Fair Champion, and also won Rookie of the Year honors while competing in the Canadian premier touring stock car series.

Mervyn "Merv" Treichler is a retired American stock car racing driver who competed on both asphalt and dirt surfaces. In 1970 he won the Race of Champions, the premier asphalt race for modifieds. He also claimed the marquee events for dirt modifieds at Super Dirt Week in 1981 and 1982.

David "Dave" Lape was an American dirt modified racing driver, fabricator, and promoter. His cars always carried the number 22 adorned with 13-point flames as a tribute to his childhood mentor, car owner Bob Whitbeck and his driver Pete Corey.

Edward "Ed" Oritz was an American Modified racing driver. Equally adept on both dirt and asphalt surfaces, he raced from Canada to New Jersey, and is credited with 200 feature wins in a career that spanned five decades.

Mert Hulbert is a retired driver of dirt modified stock cars. The inaugural Devil's Bowl Speedway track champion, Hulbert earned the nickname "socks" because he often raced in his stocking feet.

Ken "Kenny" Meahl is a retired American Modified racing driver. He was the driver for teen car owner Jerry Cook for several years before the NASCAR Hall of Fame driver came of age.

Carl Nagel is a retired American Dirt Modified racing driver from Windsor, New York. His career spanned five decades competing in the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York.

Davey Moore is a retired Canadian Dirt Modified racing driver from St. Anns, Ontario. Nicknamed "The Canadian Blast", his victories included 12 features in a row in 1979.

Robert "Bobby" Varin is an American dirt modified and sprint car racing driver. He has been credited with over 150 feature event wins at race tracks in the Northeastern United States.

Ricky Elliott is a retired American Kart, Dirt Modified, and Late Model racing driver. Elliott has 245 feature events wins from 15 tracks in the Mid-Atlantic.

References

  1. 1 2 "Danny Johnson (NY)-Career Results by Series". The Third Turn. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Syracuse Mile". The Post-Standard. May 13, 1994. p. 119. Retrieved February 8, 2024– via NewspaperArchive.
  3. ↑ "New York State Fairgrounds: Touring Series and Major Events". The Third Turn. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  4. 1 2 O'Brien, Dick (July 14, 2022). "Danny Johnson earns 600th career modified feature win at Outlaw Speedway". The Post-Standard . Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Yasinsac-Gillespie, Robin (May 31, 2019). "Danny Johnson boasts nearly 600 victories". The Citizen (Auburn, New York) . Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  6. ↑ Ott, Larry (June 26, 1997). "Danny Johnson's 'Old Girl' has a date at Ransomville". The Buffalo News . Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  7. ↑ Boogie, Tom (September 10, 2001). "Johnson makes no mistakes, captures Carquest 200". The Daily Gazette . Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Johnson wins at Syracuse". Reading Eagle . October 12, 1997. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  9. ↑ Foley, Bill (September 20, 2021). "Daniel Johnson: Another generation ready to go". Dirt Track Digest. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.