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Front cover of 2013 IMS Program adorned with
multiple (18?) Drivers 'O Yesteryear's Indy 500's Autographs, including the
late Herm Johnson's collected on Legends Day. (The Tomaso Collection
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Unfortunately, for A-L-L of us, Father time
steadily marches on; As just think, Juan' Day this 'lil No Fenders BLOB' will disappear
for eternity; Chirp-Chirp, Bueller... Or perhaps Y'all will rejoice?
Per Tipicali here upon thou Isle 'O
Nofendersville, although I know we're off to Detroit's Belle Isle for some
Duelies' Action, but! For Mwah, I still think Indy Cars should be stopping next
at Thar traditional week's after Indy's venue, Thee Milwaukee Mile. Which
Dovetails nicely with thou overtly languishing No Fenders story.
As Milwaukee was the site of where now
forgotten IndyCar racer Herm Johnson cagedly pulled off his most famous caper.
As what's that 'bout Caution, Objects May Appear Closer in your Mirrors?
As Herm has a pretty good sense ‘O humour;
having painted on the back edge of his rear wing for the 1982 Rex Mays Classic
at the Milwaukee Mile: “rick, if You
can READ this, you’re too CLOSE!” Which
was in deference to Rick ‘The Rocket Mears having bumped into him in the pits
on L183 in the preceding race - the 66th Indianapolis 500!
Which is even funnier since that’s the race
that Mears lost by a whisker to Gordon Johncock, not to mention being the
reigning CART champion en route to winning the title once again that year.
Since could this
be the unknown reason of why Rocket Rick came up Oh, So Short that May?
Inquiring Minds wanna Know...
Whilst Y'all may
enjoy this Freakin' Flashback interview recently re-released on Speed Freaks
with the Man himself!
Thus, I had NO idea this was the same
"Just Herm" helmet painter who I believe I used to see adverts weekly
for in the back of my "Autoleak" )Autoweek) magazine with picture of whom
I learned the nickname of Eddie "Underachiever "Cheever, who I've
taken to calling Eddie "The Mouth!" Cheever's helmet alongside it
during the first time I briefly met Herm. Garnering his John Hancock during the
2011 Legends Day outing.
Following my return from that most enjoyable
and mesmerizing Twenty-eleven Indianapolis 500, I began susing out the various
Drivers whose autographs I'd obtained at Thee (2011( World's Largest Autograph
session.
As one of them was the then obscure (to me)
Herm Johnson - with the top internetz link regarding Herm I discovered being
about him being injured in a car crash in Brainerd, MN, roughly sometime that
fall around September 22nd. With said article last stating he'd been upgraded
to Fair condition.
Yet Robin Miller was kind enough to let me
know that Herm was indeed Alive 'N Kickin', does have a Wicked` Sense 'O Humour
and was a great Artiste to Boot Wayback in early May, 2013.
Thus Karmically, I'd meet Herm one final
time, during the 2013 Legends Day outing, which this time I asked him if it was
true about his personalized message to Rick Mears he'd personally painted? To
which he assured me was absolutely true! To which my Handler Carpets' and Mwah
had a good Chuckle over.
Yet sadly, Herm took thou proverbial
Chequered Flag on December 10, 2016, at the way too early age of 63. Apparently
suffering from Kidney and Renal failure.
As
I'll let Ye OLD-est IndyCar Blogger Geo. Phillips regale Y'all instead,
with another of his typically No Nonsense Yarns regarding the man who preferred
Just Herm, Please...