Story and Photos By Richard Cunningham   From Muddslinger Magazine Spring 1999 Edition

He’s won over 350 feature races.

He’s a four-time winner of the Tennessee Dirt Track Championships event.

He’s a three-time Southern All Star Series Champion.

He’s second on the all-time Hav-A-Tampa career win list with 18 victories.

He’s the only driver to qualify for and finish in all nine Hav-A-Tampa Shootouts at Dixie (GA) Speedway.

He won the Dirt Track World Championship event in 1992.

He won it again in 1994.

He may be one of the most overlooked legends in the sport today.

When race fans are asked who is the best in the business there is always a list of names that gets mentioned by most: Scott Bloomquist, Billy Moyer, Donnie Moran, Freddy Smith and then… that fifth name ranges from Charlie Swartz to the most recent race winner. But, maybe, more than any other name mentioned as year after year goes by, the name Ronnie Johnson inches closer to the top of the list.

Maybe because of his quarter century of being #5, maybe because he’s just RJ, maybe because of that long list of accomplishments above. Ronnie Johnson just may be one of the sport’s five best and may begin being mentioned more and more.

Life-long Chattanooga, TN resident Ronnie Johnson just returned from his favorite racing of the year… Florida Speedweeks. The double weekend of racing left Johnson and his High Five Racing Team a little tired, a little disappointed and feeling a little bit ever so slightly down. The 1999 version of Volusia Speedweek action didn’t produce the surprise win that had happened in 1998. It didn’t produce the surprise sponsor standing by with a car hauler for Johnson to use in his ’99 campaign.

It didn’t produce the instant cash to help the full-time racer on his bills. All-in-all though it did do what it has done year after year for Ronnie Johnson… it put him behind the wheel, in front of potential sponsors and product sponsors and gave an ever growing list of fans their #5 to cheer for.

"It’s definitely not profitable (going to Florida for Speedweeks)," said Ronnie. "But it’s necessary to do for the so-called professional racer. It’s the only time they (product sponsors) are at the track. There and for the World, maybe."

Johnson viewed, "If they don’t see your face, they might not consider you (be it product sponsors, or fans to cheer for."

Speedweeks is a working vacation for Johnson. "Some people choose going to Eldora, some people pick going on the Summernational tour, this is what I enjoy doing, going to Florida and racing each year." Said the 43-year-old.

"You know we wouldn’t be able to do this without our fans, none of us. More and more I find out that’s the most important aspect of this deal – racing for the fans." Johnson shared. "So if I can race, I’m gonna race. For me and for them."

Johnson arrived in Florida this year at Tampa for the opening STARS event on Thursday night and raced there for three nights before taking up camp at Volusia for the six nights of action.

"We didn’t have the success this year that we have had in the past." Said the multiple feature winner at Volusia County Speedway. "We went less prepared than usual."

"I’ve struggled all winter to find a tow rig and we had to borrow one for the Florida trip and it just made us a bit too unorganized this time around."

Johnson said, "We were 3^rd and 4^th fast qualifier on couple of nights and still missed the show. There is just so many cars and you have to stay on top of the racetrack and we were so unorganized I wasn’t able to look ahead like I should have. If everything is not perfect anymore you can be left out of the show."

Being left out of the show is not something common for Johnson. "You know I stood at the fence at East Bay (Tampa) and was elbow to elbow with guys that you would never bet on being on the sideline watching instead of out there racing."

Johnson viewed, "Fans just don’t realize how much things have changed over the past few years. You’ve got to have the right combination, and me with new people and a new ace car – we were just off a little bit." Johnson continued. "I know it will all come together, it just takes some time."

Johnson took a brand new GRT car that the team had just finished-up to start his ’99 season. "We sold the GRT we finished out the second half of the year with last year and we’ve got everything here in the shop to complete a second car for this season." Said Johnson. "I honestly believe each car has its own personality. They may be built exactly alike on the same jig, but each car is just a little different in some way and it takes some time to learn what each one takes and needs."

"I hated to miss Brunswick. Golden Isles is one of my favorite tracks." Johnson commented. "Then I thought we’d make it to East Bay for the Hav-A-Tampa race on Wednesday night, but we just didn’t get everything done.

"I had hoped to start out with HAT the first couple of months then see if we were in the top 10 in points and go from there, but missing those two shows, just eliminated us out of a top 10," Johnson said. "So we’ll start running here and there and enjoying the season and show up at the major events."

To mark 1999 a success for Ronnie Johnson would take a few wins. "Same as always. Win a few races here and there and just continue what I enjoy doing – racing!" said Johnson.

"Racing is what I live for, but to be happy you have to have some success. You’ve got to bring a trophy home every now and then, and at least make enough money to stay afloat," he finished saying with a laugh.

"You know I’ve won a lot of races in the 25-26 years I’ve been doing this." Johnson stated in reflection. "All wins mean something and some just stand out because I thought I drove well or something beforehand put emphasis on an event, or I may have reached down and pulled one out. But it all comes down to the fact that I love to race.

"Naturally winning the Dirt Track World Championship was a highlight and you get that big check and I hung it on the shop wall and wondered if it would ever happen again and it did." Said Johnson. "And winning a little dirt car race on asphalt at Birmingham (AL) Fairgrounds Speedway back in ’94 meant a lot. I had watched my dad race there and Bobby and Donnie Allison and all. I beat Mickey Gibbs, who had been winning all those races. It was one of B.J. Parker’s shows and it just meant a lot. We’ve won several of those dirt cars on asphalt-type deals, but that one because of my history and the Fairground’s history was special. "It put us on a hot streak that we finished ’94 out on." Johnson recalled.

The son of a promoter, Johnson doesn’t see himself behind the controls of his dad’s Cleveland (TN) Speedway. "I don’t think I could be tied down to one location like that." Johnson said. "I think it would be too much like a job. Being around the same people each week – even though I like the people – no one is always happy. Several years ago I was racing there, dad came up and asked ‘was I ready to take the place over’ and before I could answer, 10 people from the flagman on down had come up to him with some kind of problem. I don’t think I need those headaches to make a living, I just don’t think I’d be happy. I love what I do and I know you have to make ends meet or you can’t continue." Commented Johnson.

"I had a bunch of people ask me who looked good at the start of the season. And I couldn’t honestly say any one particular guy. One night you win – the next you are in the consy, it’s just that competitive. Two out of every three at a track are watching now. It wasn’t always like that. It takes that right combination."

Finding that just right combination doesn’t usually take Johnson long. After spending the 1996 season running as a teammate to Scott Bloomquist in a Barry Wright car, Johnson returned to fielding his own cars.

"I have a lot of people ask me did I think my association with the (Bloomquist) team was a mistake and even the stint with the Laser Chassis development," Johnson said, "but I don’t feel that way at all.

"In ’96 when I drove for Scott the competition level picked up. We went from not having a full field at a lot of places to guys like Billy Moyer and Donnie Moran being there every single week where we went." Johnson continued. "We had two early wins without a doubt and something broke, yet every week we were competitive and in the battle. We just had the crews stretched too thin and neither one of us were used to racing with someone else. I don’t feel it was a step back in any form.

"Then I came in to the deal with the Laser Chassis and started to see it was something that was gonna take more time to develop and I wasn’t the one to do it. I didn’t think I could help that quick with it." Johnson said.

"Before hand, Bob Miller had the cars that I drove and when I came back it has been all on my own. The car has to pay it’s own way and I just couldn’t keep from ending the Laser deal and getting something that was proven," said Johnson on his move to his more recent association with GRT and Joe Garrison.

"I feel like we’ve started over from almost scratch here twice lately and we are still in a learning curve." Johnson said. "I had started to doubt myself at times, so I went with the GRT which was a proven winner. I keep stressing how tough it is; just a little mistake and you miss the show.

"We found some immediate success with the GRT and then sold it and got these two new ones. So as soon as we get them figured out, we’ll be in the fight again." Commented Johnson.

"You know week in and week out you take your little army and go up against sometimes 60-90 other little armies. We can’t all win each week and you just go in fighting each time hoping you come out with some part of the war waving the checkers after that last white flag has been waved."

As the armies of 1999 keep fighting, be assured Ronnie Johnson and his High Five Team will be among the ones left standing and when the final count is measured, don’t be surprised if Ronnie Johnson’s name isn’t somewhere near the top of the best list.

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