Danny Johnson (racing driver)

For other people with the same name, see Danny Johnson.

Danny Johnson (born March 3, 1960) is an American Dirt Modified racing driver who has earned over 600 feature event victories at 55 different speedways in 13 states and two Canadian provinces.^[5][6]

Danny Johnson
Born	Daniel L. Johnson (1960-03-03) March 3, 1960 (age 65)[1] Phelps, New York
Modified racing career
Debut season	1979 Canandaigua Speedway
Car number	27J
Championships	14
Wins	606[2]
Championship titles
1988 New York State Fair Champion[3][4] 1989, 1992, 1997, 1999 Mr. Dirt Champion 1996, 1999, 2000, 2010 Mr. Dirt 358 Modified Champion 2012 Race of Champions Dirt Modified Tour
Statistics up to date as of July 17, 2025.

Racing career

Danny Johnson began his racing career in 1979 with a win at the Canandaigua Speedway, New York, and claimed his 600th victory in 2022 at the Outlaw Speedway in Dundee, New York.^[5] He has also competed and been victorious at the east coast racetracks from Florida to Canada, including the New York venues of Lebanon Valley Speedway, Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, Ransomville Speedway, and Weedsport Speedway.^[1][7][8]

Johnson captured the 1997 Super Dirt Week 300 on the Syracuse Mile and won the companion 358 modified title twice, first in 1997, and then in 2006. He was crowned the overall Mr. DIRT champion in 1989, 1992, 1997 and again in 1999, and was inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame in 2019.^[6][9]

Personal life

Johnson comes from a racing family. As he was growing up, his father, Milt, was racing at Central New York tracks and building race engines. Eventually his older brother Alan got into the driver's seat, and in 2018, Daniel Johnson, Danny's son, began the third generation in racing.^[6][10]