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was also known as "Lone Star JR" is a former U.S. automobile racer known for being one of nine drivers to win the prestigious Indianapolis 500 mile race at least three times. Rutherford won that race in 1974, 1976, and 1980. Rutherford began racing Modified stock cars in 1959 and he also dabbled in stock car racing, making 35 NASCAR Winston Cup starts from 1963 to 1988. Rutherford won in his first start, at Daytona International Speedway driving for Smokey Yunick. This was the second 100 mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500. This made him one of the youngest drivers ever to win in NASCAR history, in a full points-paying NASCAR race. (Until 1971, the qualifying races were full points-paying races.) He joined the International Motor Contest Association sprint car circuit in 1961 leading it for most of 1962. Rutherford later joined the United States Auto Club (USAC) starting in the Hoosier Hundred and later winning his first championship. Rutherford set a world record for speed in his first qualifying effort in a stock car during qualifying for the 1963 Daytona 500. Later that year he also had his first start in the Indianapolis 500. Rutherford's first Indy car race took place at the Atlanta 250. He won the USAC National Sprint Car Championship in 1965. Rutherford won pole position at the Indy 500 in 1973, 1976, and 1980. Wins at the Indy 500 for him came in the years 1974. 1976 and 1980. In 1984, at Michigan International Speedway, Rutherford set an all time Indy car qualifying lap speed record of 215.189 mph. He became the first driver to win all three 500 mile races, in 1986, by winning the Michigan International Speedway, Rutherford set an all time Indy car qualifying lap speed

record of 215.189 mph. He became the first driver to win all three 500 mile races, in 1986, by winning the Michigan 500. Rutherford recorded 9 straight seasons with a victory making him one of just 6 drivers in Indy Car history to do so. In 1981, Rutherford drove twelve races, the most he ever raced in a single NASCAR season. In 1982 at Pocono Speedway Rutherford had a terrible crash entering turn #1. He took a hard hit, and it broke the car in two. He also had a flip, landing upside down at Phoenix in 1980. In addition, Rutherford competed in five running's of the International Race of Champions – 1975, 1977, 1978, 1980, and 1984. Rutherford's 24th and final start at Indianapolis would be 1988. By that time he was running

only a part-time schedule, and was splitting time working as a television analyst on NBC, ABC, CBS and ESPN. He also served as the pace car driver for the PPG Indycar series for most of that period. He failed to qualify at Indy in three attempts (1989, 1990, 1992). He was never able to achieve his milestone 25th Indy start. During the month of May 1994, Rutherford officially retired from racing. Here is a nice driver bio on JR. For his INDY car career, Rutherford made 316 total starts. He won a total of 30 times, and posted 93 top five finishes. At its inception in 1996, Rutherford took a full-time position as an official with the IRL, serving as pace car driver and driver coach. As for his NASCAR career he would make 35 starts. His first start was driving the #13 car owned by Smokey Yunick. He would win in his first start; a Daytona 500 qualifying

race. His lone win would come in that Daytona qualifier, and he would finish ninth in that years Daytona 500. Much like AJ Foyt and several other Indy Car series stars, Rutherford only ran NASCAR racing on the bigger tracks like Daytona, Atlanta, Michigan etc. when they had a good shot at winning. Rutherford finished seventh in the 1964 Fire Cracker 400 at Daytona. He would finish 13th in this #61 car at Rockingham. His second best career NASCAR finish would come in the 1981 Fire Cracker 400 at Daytona. In 1964 he flipped on the back stretch at Daytona. Video here - (notice how 'empty' the back stretch looks in the video.) He drove for such famous car owners as Smokey Yunick, Bud Moore, and Holman-Moody; but drove 12 of his last 13 race in the Levi Garrett Pontiac owned by Ron Benfield. Some info from WikiPedia

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JOHN SHERMAN "JOHNNY" RUTHERFORD III - 03/12/1938