I was at the US Nationals in 1996, and I saw that horrific wreck in person. I hadn't even got all the way into the stands, and was down at the end of the right side of the track. Blaine was the points leader - by a long, long ways, when that devastating wreck occurred. As I recall, he ended up still finishing in the top 5 that season, despite not being in any races after Memorial Day weekend that year. Couple other details that I'll never forget . . . It's tough to see in any of the footage that I can locate on TH-cam. . . . but I distinctly recalled two things: 1) I'm nearly positive that when the engine blew, the blower shot up off the engine, higher then the track lights and 2) when the Blaine's car careened over to the right side of the track, and slammed into the right wall . . . the engine block got separated from the frame . . . . then crossed OVER the concrete barrier. . . . and tumbled down the right side of the track a good 30-40 (50-?) yards well after the initial hit on the left side of the track. He had set the record on that run, and I'm pretty sure he was going right around 300mph when that engine blew. It was a terrible, terrible wreck - and I'll never forget it, because I was am a huge Blaine Johnson fan. Also, same weekend, Elmer Trett, one of the pioneers of Top Fuel Motorcycle Drag Racing also had a fatal wreck that weekend. As I recall, he missed his own previous world record by 2 mph on that run (232 vs. 234mph) when it looked like he got some air under his hand, and it looked like he was just literally just ripped off his bike. Memorial Day Monday was so heavy there that day . . . grown men. . . . bikers & other racing enthusiasts of all types were weeping in the stands. Sad, sad day, that I'll never forget.
Pretty awesome when you think about it. If tragedy hadn’t struck the family then we might be talking about Blaine being one of the winningest drivers ever. Thank you to the Johnson family.
Watched this again. I was fan of the Johnson family back to their alky days and always said wait till they go top fuel racing and they dominated it. His loss at indy still hurts. Just so sad.
The Johnson brothers were always so nice to my brother and I and seeing them race in Denver helped us to make a decision to go to Indy because they had so many more racers and it was a true race atmosphere. That weekend at Indy was the most difficult weekend of our lives but we've continued to go back to the races because we love these hot rods and we love the people and families that race them.
Blaine and Alan are my cousins. I fondly remember going to the ranch and riding a horse and getting to drive go carts. I discovered I liked lima beans and whole milk.
Another superb episode bobby! With all the wins and championships Alan has won with Scelzi, Schumacher, Dixon, Langdon and Brittany, Blaine was also with him the whole way.
Ive always believed that had Blaine not been killed he and Alan would have changed the face of top fuel racing and gone down as the greatest duo of all time, even more than Force and Coil or Bernstein and Armstrong, oh what might have been
Coming up on the anniversary of that dreaded day. Alan, you and your family will never be forgotten, farm boys to bad ass drag racers. You as a former driver but a master in your tuning skills. I loved you brothers still in not just driving but on camera as well. It hurts me to this day that I was never able to see him win the championship. Blain will never be forgotten by me.
Blaine will never be forgotten. He was a true professional and loved life. Blaine was a lucky guy to have a brother like Allen and Visa versa. Great video Bobby thanks for making memories for all of us.
As a teenager going to the Pomona races in the 90's I remember them running alcohol and then seeing their brand new unsponsored top fuel car in the pits on Saturday at the Winternationals and thinking to myself wow these guys are going for it. I still have pictures of it in my photo albums from the years I would take hundreds of photos at those events. A couple years later I was hanging out with buddies at a pool hall when I glanced up at the tv and saw Blaines car wrecking at Indy on Sportscenter. It was a horrible feeling I couldn't hear the tv over the jukebox but I knew he was gone because they never show any NHRA highlights or crashes on Sportscenter unless something really bad happened... The Johnson brothers are a class act and I always think of Blaine when I see Alan on the starting line.
I'm kinda bummed out that they didn't show the awards ceremony for the 1996 season. I'll never forget Kenny Bernstein calling Alan up get his championship trophy, because he said that it would be Blaine's had he not passed away. KB was a real class act. Just a great gesture!
I love these legends series! I've watched a ton of them multiple times. I remember watching all of these guys when I was a little kid. Blaine was my favorite driver, I still remember the announcement coming over the speaker at the track in Evansville Indiana about his passing. By far one of the greatest drivers ever! Who knows how many championships these guys would have won.
what happened that day in Indianapolis was a real tragedy Blaine left us too soon at such a young age I know in my heart he would have won multiple championships if he had lived longer
So cool that footage of Blaine and John Shoemaker in Seattle! I was just a young kid then but fell in love with Drag Racing because of racers like them and classes like Top Alcohol. God speed to two of the greats in our sport!
Blaine Johnson was truly a bad ass behind the wheel of a top fuel dragster. He definitely would’ve won multiple top fuel championships if he was still alive. One of my favorite top fuel drivers definitely missed!!
Thank you for this Blaine is the man I remember him racing in Sacramento in top alcohol I paid just to met him just too get a t shirt thank you Blaine Johnson RIP brother you will always be missed
Blaine was a great friend to me.i knew the Johnsons well.i was always welcomed in there pit space.i got into the winners circle with them.i worked at the time for div 2 on the certification team.i also worked for the NHRA safety safari.Blaine will always be a champion to me.i miss him so much.i still have cry at 5.10 PM on his day at Indy.His brother Alan is the best tuner in the sport.my support is with him 100%.I still work for the NHRA safety safari.this was a great tribute to a wonderful man and a good driver.thank you for sharing it.Alan thank you for doing this for your brother.keep his love for racing in your heart.i will never forget him.he will be # 1 always.Alan good luck in the 2019 season.From Paul Miskinis.
Dr. Recoil you should fact check your comments before posting them because your grammar is not very good and another thing there was no grammar issues with the original comment that you replied to
My friend shafty, on the Winston dragster invited me to join the team down track where he hit the wall for a prayer. We put candles on the wall and held hands. Thanks Dave!🏁
I don't know how long it took to get this interview right but I enjoyed the entire segment thank you. Thank you Alan Johnson for sharing your most cherished memories. My kids and I loved watching your brother and miss him!
What an absolute legend Alan Johnson is.I still remember seeing Blaines accident on the news they even showed it down here in New Zealand. Such a huge loss for the sport.RIP
Alan Johnson and Blaine Johnson there's no telling how many championships they would have had Blaine was about one of the best drivers out there in Allen was the best tuner out there there's no telling how far they would have went. RIP Blaine your miss
I must say, this #LegendsTheSeries was VERY well done! Great job! It was hard to watch on one hand, but immensely satisfying at the same time. One thought I found myself with is, is there a Legends The Series coming on Steve Evans? I hope so! 😄
A great driver with a great crew chief Blaine and Allen definitely the cream of the crop I believe that Blaine Johnson could have won as many top fuel championships maybe even more than the legendary John Force has in funny car championships unfortunately will never know what could have been
I was at the US Nationals in 1996, and I saw that horrific wreck in person. I hadn't even got all the way into the stands, and was down at the end of the right side of the track. Blaine was the points leader - by a long, long ways, when that devastating wreck occurred. As I recall, he ended up still finishing in the top 5 that season, despite not being in any races after Memorial Day weekend that year. Couple other details that I'll never forget . . . It's tough to see in any of the footage that I can locate on TH-cam. . . . but I distinctly recalled two things: 1) I'm nearly positive that when the engine blew, the blower shot up off the engine, higher then the track lights and 2) when the Blaine's car careened over to the right side of the track, and slammed into the right wall . . . the engine block got separated from the frame . . . . then crossed OVER the concrete barrier. . . . and tumbled down the right side of the track a good 30-40 (50-?) yards well after the initial hit on the left side of the track. He had set the record on that run, and I'm pretty sure he was going right around 300mph when that engine blew. It was a terrible, terrible wreck - and I'll never forget it, because I was am a huge Blaine Johnson fan. Also, same weekend, Elmer Trett, one of the pioneers of Top Fuel Motorcycle Drag Racing also had a fatal wreck that weekend. As I recall, he missed his own previous world record by 2 mph on that run (232 vs. 234mph) when it looked like he got some air under his hand, and it looked like he was just literally just ripped off his bike. Memorial Day Monday was so heavy there that day . . . grown men. . . . bikers & other racing enthusiasts of all types were weeping in the stands. Sad, sad day, that I'll never forget.
Pretty awesome when you think about it. If tragedy hadn’t struck the family then we might be talking about Blaine being one of the winningest drivers ever. Thank you to the Johnson family.
A true testament of what true Brotherhood should be,..... job well done gentlemen.
Watched this again. I was fan of the Johnson family back to their alky days and always said wait till they go top fuel racing and they dominated it. His loss at indy still hurts. Just so sad.
The Johnson brothers were always so nice to my brother and I and seeing them race in Denver helped us to make a decision to go to Indy because they had so many more racers and it was a true race atmosphere. That weekend at Indy was the most difficult weekend of our lives but we've continued to go back to the races because we love these hot rods and we love the people and families that race them.
Blaine and Alan are my cousins. I fondly remember going to the ranch and riding a horse and getting to drive go carts. I discovered I liked lima beans and whole milk.
Another superb episode bobby! With all the wins and championships Alan has won with Scelzi, Schumacher, Dixon, Langdon and Brittany, Blaine was also with him the whole way.
Ive always believed that had Blaine not been killed he and Alan would have changed the face of top fuel racing and gone down as the greatest duo of all time, even more than Force and Coil or Bernstein and Armstrong, oh what might have been
Coming up on the anniversary of that dreaded day.
Alan, you and your family will never be forgotten, farm boys to bad ass drag racers.
You as a former driver but a master in your tuning skills.
I loved you brothers still in not just driving but on camera as well.
It hurts me to this day that I was never able to see him win the championship.
Blain will never be forgotten by me.
Blaine will never be forgotten. He was a true professional and loved life. Blaine was a lucky guy to have a brother like Allen and Visa versa. Great video Bobby thanks for making memories for all of us.
As a teenager going to the Pomona races in the 90's I remember them running alcohol and then seeing their brand new unsponsored top fuel car in the pits on Saturday at the Winternationals and thinking to myself wow these guys are going for it. I still have pictures of it in my photo albums from the years I would take hundreds of photos at those events. A couple years later I was hanging out with buddies at a pool hall when I glanced up at the tv and saw Blaines car wrecking at Indy on Sportscenter. It was a horrible feeling I couldn't hear the tv over the jukebox but I knew he was gone because they never show any NHRA highlights or crashes on Sportscenter unless something really bad happened... The Johnson brothers are a class act and I always think of Blaine when I see Alan on the starting line.
I'm kinda bummed out that they didn't show the awards ceremony for the 1996 season. I'll never forget Kenny Bernstein calling Alan up get his championship trophy, because he said that it would be Blaine's had he not passed away. KB was a real class act. Just a great gesture!
I love these legends series! I've watched a ton of them multiple times. I remember watching all of these guys when I was a little kid. Blaine was my favorite driver, I still remember the announcement coming over the speaker at the track in Evansville Indiana about his passing. By far one of the greatest drivers ever! Who knows how many championships these guys would have won.
what happened that day in Indianapolis was a real tragedy Blaine left us too soon at such a young age I know in my heart he would have won multiple championships if he had lived longer
God Bless this Family and Crew !!! So very sad loss to everyone...always a Champion ....
Wow! So sad in the end, but what a legacy to NHRA history by the brothers Johnson.
So cool that footage of Blaine and John Shoemaker in Seattle! I was just a young kid then but fell in love with Drag Racing because of racers like them and classes like Top Alcohol. God speed to two of the greats in our sport!
Blaine Johnson was truly a bad ass behind the wheel of a top fuel dragster. He definitely would’ve won multiple top fuel championships if he was still alive. One of my favorite top fuel drivers definitely missed!!
Thank you for this Blaine is the man I remember him racing in Sacramento in top alcohol I paid just to met him just too get a t shirt thank you Blaine Johnson RIP brother you will always be missed
ONE LOVE ! 🙏♥️
Blaine was a great friend to me.i knew the Johnsons well.i was always welcomed in there pit space.i got into the winners circle with them.i worked at the time for div 2 on the certification team.i also worked for the NHRA safety safari.Blaine will always be a champion to me.i miss him so much.i still have cry at 5.10 PM on his day at Indy.His brother Alan is the best tuner in the sport.my support is with him 100%.I still work for the NHRA safety safari.this was a great tribute to a wonderful man and a good driver.thank you for sharing it.Alan thank you for doing this for your brother.keep his love for racing in your heart.i will never forget him.he will be # 1 always.Alan good luck in the 2019 season.From Paul Miskinis.
I think you're kind of full of shit. Your grammar tells a a big story. Because you're all wrong on your grammar
Holy damn, bud. You ain't even knowt proper American. How about you speak properly of those past before you spout cheet th hat ain't werds?
Dr. Recoil you should fact check your comments before posting them because your grammar is not very good and another thing there was no grammar issues with the original comment that you replied to
Great quote from Tom Conway. You can tell the respect goes both ways.
My friend shafty, on the Winston dragster invited me to join the team down track where he hit the wall for a prayer. We put candles on the wall and held hands. Thanks Dave!🏁
Man, still gets me....
I don't know how long it took to get this interview right but I enjoyed the entire segment thank you. Thank you Alan Johnson for sharing your most cherished memories. My kids and I loved watching your brother and miss him!
What an absolute legend Alan Johnson is.I still remember seeing Blaines accident on the news they even showed it down here in New Zealand. Such a huge loss for the sport.RIP
Another fantastic installment, Bobby
Alan Johnson and Blaine Johnson there's no telling how many championships they would have had Blaine was about one of the best drivers out there in Allen was the best tuner out there there's no telling how far they would have went. RIP Blaine your miss
very well done...RIP
hard to believe its been that long ago.
Man this is gonna be great. Thank you Bobby and Alan
Respect...
Rough year at indy that year, lost 2 legends. Things like that remain with a 15 year old aspiring driver.
I must say, this #LegendsTheSeries was VERY well done! Great job! It was hard to watch on one hand, but immensely satisfying at the same time.
One thought I found myself with is, is there a Legends The Series coming on Steve Evans? I hope so! 😄
Man these are so great. Remind me of the Diamond P driver biographies they’d do
I named my first born child Landry Blaine... Tom Landry for her first name... Blaine Johnson for her middle name.
Thanks for the stories...
BJ was my favorite...i met him once, in Dinwiddie and asked what that car was like. "It's a monster, trying to get away."
I first saw Blaine in an alcohol dragster,then that bad ass top fueler!!!!!
Excellent!
Love me some Blaine
Watched Blaine all thru alcohol and top fuel, Blaine will always n a champion
Jus think of what Blaine could done it's like what Davey allison could done in nascar such a shame but you never no when gods calling
I named my first born child Landry Blaine... Tom Landry for her first name... Blaine Johnson for her middle name.
I was only 8 years old but I remember the crash.
A great driver with a great crew chief Blaine and Allen definitely the cream of the crop I believe that Blaine Johnson could have won as many top fuel championships maybe even more than the legendary John Force has in funny car championships unfortunately will never know what could have been
👍👍🙏