Heart Break: NASCAR Family Mourns the Death of All Time Legend Who Died In Traffic Collisions
Jimmie Johnson announced this week that he will compete in the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis and the NASCAR Cup season finale at Phoenix in 2024, and also spoke publicly for the first time since the deaths of his in-laws and nephew last summer in what was an apparent murder-suicide.
The seven-time NASCAR champion expressed his appreciation to his fan base during an interview on the “Today Show” for its support after the bodies of Jack Janway, 69, and Terry Janway, 68 — the parents of Johnson’s wife, Chandra — and their 11-year-old grandson Dalton were found dead in their home June 26 in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
What Jimmie Johnson said about deaths of in-laws
“First and foremost, thank you for the support,” Johnson said. “Friends and family, fans far and wide have been extremely supportive, and that’s helped us through this incredibly difficult time. We’re managing the best we can, and that’s really all you can do, so thank you for the support and the continued support.”
Prior to the television interview, Johnson had addressed the incident on his Instagram page on July 28 when he posted:
“Our family is devastated by the profound loss of (Terry) Lynn, Jack and Dalton Janway,” Johnson’s statement read. “We have been humbled by the outpouring of love and support during this unthinkably sad time and remain grateful for all of your compassion.”
What happened to Jimmie Johnson’s in-laws?
On June 26, Muskogee Police officer Lynn Hamlin told muskogeephoenix.com the deaths of Jack and Terry Janway and their grandson Dalton were being investigated as a murder-suicide and that Terry Janway was considered the shooter. Investigators said they were unsure what led to the shooting.
Muskogee Police received a 911 call from a woman who claimed someone had a gun at the Janways’ residence before hanging up.
Upon arrival, authorities found a body in the hallway, later identified as Jack Janway, with a gunshot wound in the chest.
Authorities on the scene heard a gunshot in the home. Terry Janway was found on a couch with a gunshot wound to her chest. A gun was found near her hand.
Dalton Janway was found on a bed, with gunshot wounds to his head and chest.
Reports listed the deaths of Jack and Dalton Janway as homicides. Terry Janway’s death was listed as a suicide.
Johnson’s race team, Legacy Motor Club, announced after the incident that it was withdrawing Johnson’s car from that weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series event in Chicago.
Jimmie Johnson’s family tragedy, explained
Jack Janway was owner of Janway Chiropractic and Acupuncture in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
One of the Janways’ sons, Jordan, died in a skydiving accident in 2014 in San Diego.
Dalton Janway was a fifth-grade student at Sadler Arts Academy, who had resided with Jack and Terry Janway since he was 2.
“It was traumatizing to find out that a long-standing family who had made so many contributions to our community were involved in this type of incident,” Muskogee Mayor Marlon Coleman told Fox 23 News on June 27. “It was even more bone-chilling to find out there was a child involved. I knew Dr. Janway. Dr Janway has worked on me, we’ve been acquaintances for a very, very long time since I’ve been in Muskogee. Just knowing that it was him and his family took a different toll on me.”
What Jimmie Johnson said about racing in 2024
Johnson said he has experienced a busy offseason and that he looks forward to returning to the racetrack.
“Just this morning we’ve announced that Carvana is going to come back and sponsor me again for a handful of races starting with the Daytona 500,” Johnson said. “So we’re very excited about that. In addition to that great news we just announced a new partnership with Family Dollar and Dollar Tree, and also with AdventHealth and a partnership with Toyota. So Legacy Motor Club has a lot going on. We’re growing quickly and certainly hope to be a force in the NASCAR industry.”
Legacy Motor Club is owned by Johnson and Maurice J. Gallagher. Gallagher acquired Richard Petty Motorsports in 2021 and renamed it Petty GMS. The team rebranded itself to Legacy Motor Club after adding Johnson to its ownership structure in 2023.
