Only when he lies flat on his back does Junior Johnson feel no pain. He can walk for a little more than 10 minutes before he begins to feel winded. Food does not taste good and he has trouble swallowing. Nevertheless, Johnson, the 81-year-old former NASCAR driver and team owner, does not complain. He ‘ll tell you it is better than the alternative. ‘Reckon the Lord thought it wasn ‘t my time yet,’ said Johnson, a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s inaugural class of inductees, ‘for which I am grateful.’ Johnson came to the brink of death after contracting a raging staph infection at a North Carolina hospital. Johnson takes a daily regimen of medication to keep the infection at bay. Johnson said his plans for the immediate future remain unaltered. He and his family will move to Charlotte in June, where they have already bought a house and will become neighbors to such NASCAR notables as team owners Rick Hendrick and Felix Sabates. Johnson said he feels better each day, but, obviously, he will require more medical attention – none of which he can receive until it’s certain he no longer has the infection. Johnson admits he needs, and wants, a pacemaker.(Motorsports Unplugged)(5-5-2012)
