“Lone Star J.R.” – Johnny Rutherford, Part 1

December 7, 2021

Pit Pass Indy show host Bruce Martin has Part 1 of an in-depth conversation with one of INDYCAR’s all-time greats. It’s “Lone Star J.R.” – three-time Indianapolis 500 winning driver Johnny Rutherford.

The driver from Kansas who later moved with his family to Fort Worth, Texas was one of the great drivers of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He came up in an era when racing was extremely dangerous but was able to survive to enjoy an incredible career.

Part 1 includes how Rutherford got his start in racing, his NASCAR victory in one of the qualifying races for the 1963 Daytona 500 and his incredible Indianapolis 500 career all the way up through his retirement.

Part 2 will be available next week. The subject of that episode is how Rutherford survived one of the most dangerous eras of IndyCar racing and his personal thoughts on some of the great drivers that he raced against.

For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at Twitter at @BruceMartin_500