SPEEDWAY, Ind. — At the beginning of the 2026 season, R.J. Johnson and Petty Performance Racing put the No. 1 on their car, designating the previous year’s Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car championship.
At the end of the 2026 campaign, they were still having fun and they were still the one.
The Laveen, Arizona racer captured his third consecutive USAC CRA crown after previous titles with the family-owned No. 51 in 2024, followed by the PPR No. 33p in 2025, and now the No. 1p in 2026.
But no matter the number, Johnson had the competition’s number once again for his eighth career USAC Sprint Car title (5 Southwest & 3 CRA).
Johnson won four USAC CRA feature events in 2026 at Perris Auto Speedway twice, plus Central Arizona Raceway and Calistoga Speedway once each in his Avanti Windows & Doors – Apache Transport – JUGO Superfoods/Sherman/Stanton Chevy.
In what was the third largest championship point margin in USAC CRA history (334), Johnson also led all drivers with 17 top fives, 19 top 10s, nine fast qualifying times, and nine heat race wins, and was the only driver to start all 22 series events.
“These last two years, it’s just been a complete dream,” exclaimed the 39-year-old Johnson regarding his partnership with PPR. “It’s been really good. We haven’t had any motor failures. We’ve had zero part failures or anything like that. No complaints here.”
Johnson opened the season in victory lane at California’s Perris Auto Speedway on Valentine’s Day, then took top honors at Central Arizona Raceway in April. In May, he drank the chocolate milk as the winner of the 66th running of the Salute to Indy at Perris, winning the event for the first time after 20+ years of trying.
In September, he reigned victorious in what he called the biggest win of his career during the final night of September’s Louie Vermeil Classic at Calistoga Speedway.
“The Louie was so big,” Johnson reflected. “I’ve been so close in many races with money like that to win and then not win it. As I took the white flag, I’m instantly going, “What’s going to happen? What’s going to go wrong?” Then, I run down and miss a corner and we end up with a photo finish with J.J. (Yeley). We brought two (PPR) cars and ran first and second. On the first night, J.J. won and I ran second, and then backed it up the next night with me winning and him running second.”
Not only does Johnson drive for PPR, it’s his full-time job, and he took on an added multi-tasking role by becoming a driver coach and mentor for Elijah Gile, while running the team’s operations, building and maintaining equipment, and doing the driving duties. He also gave credit to his right hand man, Jim Jenkins and crew chief Billy Chester.
Johnson made his USAC CRA Sprint Car debut in the series’ inaugural season in 2004 just weeks after his 17th birthday. He began racing quarter midgets at the age of six and competed in the class until he was 14.
The same year he turned 14, Johnson also started racing full-size midgets and ultimately found his way to 360s and then 410 sprint cars soon after. His father, Ricky Johnson, is a former standout sprint car and midget racer as well. Ricky captured the Arizona Midget Racing Association title in 1993, and R.J. followed suit by scoring five AMRA championships in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2009.
During his USAC career, Johnson is a five-time Southwest 360 Sprint Car titlist, notching five consecutive trophies in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, while snagging each of the past three USAC CRA crowns in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
