World of Outlaws Sprint Car Racing Series Founder Passes
Saturday, October 21, 2006
PLANO, TX (October 21) – Ted Johnson, whose tireless dedication to sprint car racing made the sport the national spectacle it is today, passed away peacefully at his home early Saturday morning.
Johnson, who drove midget racecars before becoming a china salesman, possessed a lifelong love for auto racing that prompted him to establish the World of Outlaws in 1978. The series ran its first event at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite and quickly became the world’s largest sprint car racing organization. Johnson sold the series to DIRT Motorsports in 2004 and served as a consultant the last 1½ years.
Johnson was a dedicated family man who worked closely with wife Stacy, daughter Lesa and son-in-law Carlton Reimers to build the World of Outlaws into the world’s fourth-largest auto racing series. The series has influenced thousands of sprint car racers, including 20-time champion Steve Kinser and Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne and Dave Blaney, who now enjoy successful careers with NASCAR.
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