From Chris Dolack, VP of Public Relations - Dirt Motorsports
Ted Johnson and the World of Outlaws. It’s pretty hard to say one without at least thinking of the other. That’s as much a tribute to the man as it is the racing series he created.Johnson dedicated his life to sprint car racing, taking the sport to heights not previously imagined. He assembled the greatest collection of sprint car drivers in the world and helped them enjoy careers entertaining fans across the United States and around the world. Through the World of Outlaws, Johnson has impacted thousands of sprint car racers and created national heroes out of the best of the best during the past 30 years.On Friday night in Texas, Johnson, 72, finally lost his hard-fought battle with cancer.
Born on Feb. 5, 1934, in Beloit, Wis., Johnson developed a passion for motor sports early in his childhood as he watched his father race motorcycles.Johnson, who briefly drove a midget before settling into a career as a china salesman, never could shake the racing bug and in 1978 he unveiled the World of Outlaws, a collection of the biggest names in sprint car racing that traveled around the country trying to swipe purses from local competitors. The series drew huge crowds, attracted national television audiences and major sponsorship all while competing nearly 100 times a year with Johnson calling the shots every step of the way.
He continued to operate the series until selling it in 2004 to DIRT MotorSports. Even then Johnson found himself involved with the World of Outlaws as an advisor and confidant to those now making decisions."Ted Johnson gave all he had to make the World of Outlaws the premier dirt racing series in the world," DIRT MotorSports President and CEO Tom Deery said. "It’s up to us as fans and competitors to continue to carry on his legacy. It’s not something we take lightly, which is why on Sunday at the World of Outlaws banquet in Las Vegas we will introduce the Ted Johnson Award in recognition of an outstanding contribution to sprint car racing."
Click here for whole article, including words from current and former WoO figures
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