It doesn’t always happen that a NASCAR driver receives a gift from the President of the United States, that too, a day after Christmas. However, it did happen forty years ago. On the 26th of December, 1985, a document bearing the seal of the President arrived in the world of stock car racing, signed by the 40th President, Ronald Reagan.

The document erased a federal conviction of a former driver who had been carrying the burden of his past crimes for thirty years at the time.

The best Christmas gift in NASCAR history?

Although not racing anymore at the time, receiving the Presidential Pardon on the 26th December was seemingly the best gift Junior Johnson could’ve earned.

Back in June 1956, he was convicted of illegal moonshining in his father’s still. In fact, it is said that he learned to drive fast through this. Shortly after, he was sentenced to 20 months in prison, but was released after just 11. He made up his mind and gave up on moonshining, dedicating himself to stock racing.

Almost thirty years after he was released, President Ronald Reagan gave him the Presidential Pardon, forgiving him of his earlier crimes.

“I didn’t think it was possible to be any happier than getting into the North Carolina Hall of Fame, but I feel that way now,’ Johnson said upon receiving it. “Really, I’m so tickled I can’t express my appreciation to everyone, especially President Reagan, in words. The pardon is something I’ve really wanted.”

However, this did not affect his NASCAR career in any way. He had retired for almost two decades at the time, running his own Junior Johnson & Associates team in the sport. The team had proven to be a success, featuring drivers like Cale Yarborough and Darell Waltrip, who brought them many race wins.

Yet, the pardon was a major positive in his life. At the time, he had it framed and hanged to a wall. This legacy lives forever. In fact, Disney-Pixar’s 2017 movie Cars 3 featured a character after him. Named Junior ‘Midnight Moon,’ the retired legend in the film was voiced by Junior Johnson.

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How did Junior Johnson’s team perform in the series?

Although Johnson was one of the most competitive drivers the sport featured back in the day, he never won a championship. This was owing to the short and irregular career he had as a racing driver. He laid the foundation for Junior Johnson & Associates in the late 1950s; however, the team remained inactive for a decade and returned to racing in the 60s.

Johnson had retired by this time, and so he could focus solely on his team and their performance. His experience in racing also helped them build the team into a competitive force, and they won championships in the early 1970s through Yarborough.

The team remained important because of the exposure it gave to the younger, regional drivers, and their top-performing drivers kept the pack entertained. They remained active until the end of 1995, after which they were sold to Brett Bodine, and Johnson’s active participation in NASCAR came to an end after a legendary run.

Although he had already earned a legendary status by that time, the Presidential Pardon was a special ‘gift’ to Junior Johnson. It freed him of his past convictions as he focused more on running his team at the time. After his contribution to the movie Cars 3, Johnson passed away in 2019. He was 88.