The Racing World Mourns The Passing Of World Of Outlaws Driver Jason Johnson

Column By: SHANE CARLSON / RPW – BEAVER DAM, WI – 41-year-old World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series driver, Jason Johnson of Eunice, La., died on Sunday morning at the Aurora Summit Hospital following injuries he suffered in a crash while battling for the lead with Daryn Pittman at Beaver Dam Raceway.

Known as the Ragin’ Cajun due to his Louisiana upbringing, Johnson had been a World of Outlaws series regular since 2015, when he won Rookie of the Year honors. Before joining the tour full-time, he made occasional starts with the Outlaws, his first start coming in 1998 and Johnson collected his first win in 2003. His World of Outlaws career tallied 12 wins, including two this year.

Prior to Johnson joining the Outlaws, he had already amassed five Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series championships and wanted to move up and try his hand at racing the best sprint car drivers in the world with the most demanding schedule in all of sports.

Johnson did that and made himself a household name in 2016 after he outdueled series champion and the winningest active driver on the circuit, Donny Schatz, to win the Knoxville Nationals, sprint car racing’s most prestigious race.

Winning the Knoxville Nationals is every winged sprint car driver’s dream and Johnson was able to beat the best that day in a race that is quickly going down as one of the most epic Knoxville Nationals in history.

More than just a racer, Johnson took pride in being a family man and is survived by his wife, Bobbi, and his son, Jaxx.

“Shit, I wanted to win,” he said after winning the Knoxville Nationals.

He just wanted to win Saturday night, too.

The World of Outlaws released a statement Sunday morning announcing his passing.

On lap 18 of the 40-lap feature event, Johnson’s car flipped, as sprint cars have a tendency to do, and went airborne, crashing through billboards that lined the wall of Turn 3. The race was red-flagged as Johnson was extracted from his No. 41 Priority Aviation car and airlifted to Aurora Summit Hospital, about 40 miles from the track, in Summit, Wisconsin.

Following the cleanup of Johnson’s car, the race continued and Daryn Pittman was the eventual winner.