When it came to his own career, Jason knew exactly what he wanted. His racing resume eventually included five ASCS driver championships and four owner titles.
But as satisfying as that was, Johnson wanted to race full time with the World of Outlaws and set out to do just that.
In 2015, he was named Rookie of the Year — an award named, as fate would have it, in honor of Kevin Gobrecht. Still, when slugging it out night after night with some of the best in the business, there will be nights one would like to forget.
A low point came at Placerville (Calif.) Speedway, when Johnson and Daryn Pittman were involved in an accident that resulted in significant injuries to both men. It was another test that Bobbi was sure her husband would pass.
She knew by now that Jason, even in the most difficult moments, was unfailingly upbeat.
Thinking about some of those lonely moments, she said, “On bad nights he would say, ‘Tomorrow is a new day. I‘m not going to hang my head.‘ When he woke up in the morning he always found a positive quote. If he was getting down on himself, like he did a few times on the road, he just pulled over at a rest area. I remember one time his mom and dad were there, and I was thinking what are you doing? He said, ‘I just need to find something to be positive about; a motivational speaker or something like that.‘
“I thought it was phenomenal.”
Johnson had recovered from his injuries and returned to the cockpit by the end of the 2015 season, and was ready to build on a solid first full year with the Outlaws. He made it all the way back when he got to victory lane at Placerville in March.
And, in one of life‘s great ironies, it was Pittman who chased him across the line. It was a moment that both men relished.
By the dog days of August, Johnson felt he could compete with the best at the Knoxville Nationals. When he finished second to Tim Kaeding on night two, it was clear that he could be a force.
With all the points tallied over the two preliminary nights, Pittman fired off from the pole with Johnson alongside.
The race proved to be one of the finest in Nationals history. One key aspect of the storyline was Donny Schatz. Schatz had won nine of the last 10 Nationals and was looking for his sixth in a row.
The majority of the crowd was not only desperate for a new winner, but Johnson was an underdog they could really embrace. As Schatz made a furious charge in the closing laps, the crowd was nearly delirious.
Trying hard to keep his car between the fences, Jason dug deep when it counted, and by sheer force of will, got to the stripe first. The resulting roar was a virtual explosion.
Bobbi admits that there are times when her son wants to watch the tape of the closing laps and, naturally, she replays the moment in her head too. Why wouldn‘t she? She knew just how much blood, sweat, and tears led to that moment. It was a heavy time emotionally.
Popular Bryan Clauson had just lost his life in a midget at Belleville, Kan., and everyone was still numb. When Johnson emerged from his car, he provided everyone the release they needed by screaming “Parked it! B.C.” It truly was pandemonium.
“That was crazy,” Bobbi recalled. “And I have to laugh now, because I said we were going to Disney World, which was just goofy.”
Johnson would finish a respectable seventh in World of Outlaws points in 2016 and 2017. It was an impressive outcome for a family operation and his motivation was still sky high.
He was determined to find the needed resources and partners and continue to improve as a driver in order to become a series champion.
In 2018 he posted a series of quality runs in April, and in June he won two of the three nights of the 40th annual Jackson Nationals in Minnesota. Then came that awful night at Beaver Dam, Wis. He was battling Daryn Pittman for the lead, and then suddenly he was exiting the race track and, as it turned out, this life as we know it.
It was another punch to the gut for those who love the sport.
Then the other reality hit. Bobbi Johnson had to face the death of the man she loved one more time. She had every right to remain self-absorbed but, to her credit, she stepped up when everyone needed her the most.
Before those brave keyboard jockeys allowed their opinions to topple forth unfettered and others failed to engage their brains before putting their mouth in gear, Bobbi issued a statement. It was a racing accident she reminded. Nothing more, nothing less.
There was no one to blame. Pittman, after all, was suffering too.
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