EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Auto racing is a form of entertainment, so Gordon Johncock, despite personal tragedies, thinks the show must go on.
Johncock, a two-time Indianapolis 500 champion, has been going through physical and mental torture the last 12 months, beginning with two ankles broken in the July 1983 CART race at Michigan. The right ankle suffered the worse damage in the wall-banger, requiring 18 screws and a three-inch metal plate to restructure the bones.
Last December, Johncock underwent additional surgery to remove most of the metal and said that operation left him with more pain than the original patch job.
He crashed again during this year's Indy 500 and refractured the left ankle. During his last two races at Milwaukee, Johncock had trouble engaging the clutch with his left ankle and had to cross his right leg over to complete the maneuver.
'The injuries prevented me from being competitive,' says the Coldwater, Mich., driver who will turn 48 on Aug. 5. 'I never really was seriously hurt in auto racing until last year. One thing is certain. I'm not going to let these injuries discourage me.'
Then there was the family tragedy that devastated Johncock. But to look at the impassive expression on his face one would never know the extent of his sorrow until they were told of the circumstances.
Last October, the Johncock family went up to Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., for the races. Three of Johncock's children -- Gordon Jr., 17; Pam, 20, and Patsy, 22, decided to seek a better vantage point to watch their brother, Wally, compete in an SCCA club event.
They took a back road to reach the race site and their car was hit by a van with people also rushing for a better position to see the race. The cars met head-on. The girls suffered fractured ankles and wrists. Gordon Jr. suffered massive brain damage. He was flown to a hospital in Michigan and remained unconscious for several weeks.
Transferred to the University of Ohio hospital in Columbus for rehabilitation, young Johncock still can't stand, has difficulty speaking and is confined to a wheelchair. There are slight indications of movement after months of physical therapy.
The elder Johncock doesn't show emotions of joy or sadness. When STP, his sponsor, contributed $5,000 to a fund to help with his son's medical expenses, Johncock mumbled a soft 'thank you' and continued preparations for his next race.
He reacts the same way to fellow drivers. He doesn't have many close friends, always fearing friendship will be severed by death in a racing accident.
'Most of the old crowd left racing,' Johncock says. 'There was a strong bond in the old days when we raced dirts and sprints. These days, I'd rather go right home after a race. In three hours I'm usually back in my living room.'
He has no wish to retire. They may have to carry him out again before he quits.
