_{*Quick Summary: The author adds a personal eulogy as a memorial to friend and mentor Jimmy Johnson.*}

Three years ago today, one of my most trusted friends and advisers, James “Jimmy” Charles Johnson passed away. The guy we would in later years refer to as “Jimmy with a Y”, or “Old Jimmy” to avoid confusion with the race car driver Jimmie, was a guiding force early in my career. Jimmy’s open door policy led to many long talks and a lot of great advice on business and life. He helped to shape and guide my way of understanding the worlds of racing and business. He was so generous with his time and was eager to share advice. As a young person who shared many of the same philosophies on racing, life, and people, I think Jimmy saw me as someone who would both listen and learn, and he seemed to enjoy our time talking as much as I did.

I will truly miss him, his sage advice, and his directness. It was once said about Jimmy that you would get one of four answers from him to any business question – Yes, No, Hell No, or I’ll look into it. I found that to be quite accurate, and if he told you he’d look into something, he did. Quickly. You were never left in the dark or wondering; an answer would be forthcoming. That style of management made him a pleasure to work for, so long as you did your job. Being a bit of a screw-up in my early years, I ran afoul of Jimmy a few times, and I scarcely remember feeling lower than when I would disappoint him. Jimmy Johnson was a true hero of mine, and his death has left a hole in my heart that won’t soon be filled. I have tried to live up to his expectations for me, and I hope to be the same type of guiding resource to others one day. Thank you Jimmy.

Here are a few articles on Jimmy, including one of his favorite stories of when he delivered a car to driver Tim Richmond. He would tell this story literally every time he got a chance, so it’s great to see it live beyond him: https://www.modbee.com/sports/nascar-auto-racing/article3102059.html

https://www.theautochannel.com/news/2008/02/23/078609.html