In one of his final Instagram posts, World of Outlaws sprint car driver Jason Johnson shared an adorable photo of himself and his son sitting in the driver’s seat of his car.
“Through Dad’s eyes…. to have a Healthy, Happy child is Everything,” Johnson wrote on June 9, just days before his death on Sunday.
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In the photo, his son Jaxx is sitting on his lap, giving a thumbs up to the photographer.
Johnson’s fans wrote tributes to the race and his family in the comments section under the photo.
“I hope that Jack will follow in his daddy’s footsteps because he will be an awesome driver in the future,” one fan wrote.
“Fly high Cajun!!! You will be missed my many.. RIP my prayers are with the family,” another wrote.
“Rest in peace. This photo says everything about your character. God bless your whole family,” another fan added.
The 41-year-old Johnson died Sunday morning after suffering injuries from a crash at Beaver Dam Raceway in Wisconsin Saturday. According to ESPN, the crash happened during the 18th lap, as he tried to pass Daryn Pittman for the lead. The car flipped over as Johnson made a turn, hitting billboards and possibly hitting a wall outside the track. The track did not have a catch fence at the turn.
“With heavy hearts, we inform you of the passing of Jason Johnson,” the World of Outlaws series said in a statement Sunday. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. Please send prayers and respect their privacy.”
“With the same courage, passion and vigor that he raced with each night, he fought valiantly to the end. His love of life and sprint car racing was only surpassed by his deep and authentic love for his family, friends, competitors and fans,” Jason Johnson Racing added. “He never met a stranger, and certainly never met anyone that he was not willing to help or provide guidance. It is that giving and caring spirit that we will all forever miss.”
Johnson was a five-time ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series champion and earned the nickname “Ragin’ Cajun.”
Johnson, a Louisiana native, surrounded himself by family at the racetrack. His cousin was his crew chief and his wife, Bobbi, worked on his team. Bobbi was previously engaged to Kevin Gobrecht, who died in a crash in 1999.
Johnson made his debut with the Outlaws in 1998 and had 12 wins overall, including two this season. He gained national attention in 2016 by winning the Knoxville, Iowa Nationals, the top race for winged sprint cars.
According to the Journal Sentinel, Johnson is the second sprint car driver to die from injuries in a crash on a clay track in four years. In September 2014, Scott Semmelmann was killed during a practice in September 2014.
Photo credit: Instagram/Jason Johnson
