Two-Time Indy 500 Winner Gordon Johncock Dies at 90

Gordon Johncock, the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and 1976 national champion, died Sept. 28, 2026, at age 90 of natural causes at his home in South Branch, Michigan. He won the 500 in 1973 and in 1982, beating Rick Mears by 0.16 seconds in what was then the closest finish in race history. He made 261 IndyCar starts, won 25 races, and competed in 24 Indianapolis 500s through 1992. His 1973 win came at Lap 133 after rain ended a race marred by fatal accidents. Johncock skipped the victory banquet to visit hospitalized teammate Swede Savage, who later died of his injuries. IMS President J. Douglas Boles said the race was an inflection point for safety and that Johncock's quiet life away from racing left a lasting impact. Mario Andretti called him "one of the grandest men of the old guard," a driver "one of a kind, with an unassuming manner." INDYCAR said it was deeply saddened by his passing. Spotter Jim Cooke wrote that Foyt, Andretti, Rutherford and the Unsers would say Gordy raced them as hard and as fair as any elite front-runner. Friend Steve Shunck wrote, "What a man, what a driver, what a friend."