SOUTH BRANCH, Mich. — Gordon Johncock, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and the 1976 USAC National Champion who helped usher in the era of rear-engine racing, died Monday at his home in Michigan, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and motorsports publications said.
The lifelong Michigan resident was 90.
Johncock was known for his versatility across front-engine roadsters and modern rear-engine Indy cars. His career spanned 25 seasons and 262 starts in the IndyCar Series and its predecessors, where he secured 25 wins and 20 poles. He recorded 51 additional finishes in second or third place.
Born Aug. 5, 1936, in Hastings, Michigan, Johncock began driving at age 5 behind the wheel of a John Deere tractor on his family farm.
Johncock began racing Midwest super-modifieds in the late 1950s and captured his first 500-lap race victory on a quarter-mile oval in 1958 in Galesburg, Michigan.
A leading super-modified short-track driver in the early 1960s, Johncock also briefly raced United States Auto Club (USAC) sprint cars.
In 1964, he set a single-lap record of 17.18 seconds (104.773 mph) at the half-mile Winchester Speedway in Indiana before debuting 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. His performance marked the final time a front-engine car finished in the top five at the race.
He also continued to participate in occasional USAC stock car races, winning twice in 1973 at the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds and at Texas World Speedway.
Over his career, Johncock competed in 24 Indianapolis 500 races, winning in 1973 and 1982. He finished sixth or higher 10 times, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum said. His 1982 victory over Rick Mears featured a margin of 0.16 of a second, which stood as the closest in Speedway history until a 0.043-second margin surpassed it in 1992.
Johncock nearly added two more Indianapolis 500 wins to his record. A broken crankshaft ended his race while he was leading with 16 laps remaining in 1977. In 1981, an engine failure ended his run while he was in second place with seven laps to go.
He led 339 total laps in Indianapolis 500 races. From 1992 until 2007, he completed with 3,158 career laps in the race.
IMS said in an announcement of Johncock’s death that he kept most of his racing memorabilia in his basement. His two winner’s plaques shared a wall with artwork of the 1982 win, the race’s checkered flag and a stuffed deer head in his living room.
He seldom attended the 500 after retiring.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Hall of Fame inducted Johncock in 1997.
The International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Alabama inducted him in 1999.
Johncock was survived by his wife, Sue; three daughters, Patsy, Pamilee and Peggy; two sons, Gordon Jr. and Wally; a stepdaughter, Valerie; 12 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and a great-great grandchild.
