COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Gordon Johncock, the legendary two-time Indianapolis 500 champion who proudly called Coldwater his home during the peak of his professional racing career, passed away on Monday from natural causes at the age of 90.
Though born in nearby Hastings, Johncock established deep roots in the Coldwater community while competing in one of IndyCar’s most celebrated golden eras against icons like A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti.
In a career that spanned decades, he secured 25 career IndyCar victories—including his famous 1973 and 1982 triumphs at The Brickyard—and the 1976 national championship, always carrying the pride of his adopted hometown with him to the track.
The depth of that bond was never more apparent than in June 1982, following Johncock’s dramatic, wheel-to-wheel Indy 500 victory over Rick Mears.
The city of Coldwater honored its racing hero with a massive downtown street parade that drew thousands of residents to celebrate their hometown hero.
Celebrated alongside prominent figures like Patrick Racing team owner Pat Patrick and renowned Indianapolis Motor Speedway broadcaster Paul Page, Johncock famously expressed his profound gratitude, noting that the overwhelming support gave him “goosebumps all over” and solidified Coldwater’s place in his heart.
Johncock for a time co-owned Johncock & Brayton Ready Mix, a ready-mix concrete, sand, and gravel business in Coldwater, with Lee Brayton the father of IndyCar driver Scott Brayton who died at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 16, 1996 during a practice lap for the Indy 500 .
The community today mourns the loss of a true racing icon who, despite his global motorsports success, always remained small-town Michigan at heart.
Johncock was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 1997 and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1999.
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