Johnson was born on June 28, 1931, in Ronda, North Carolina, to Lora Belle (Money) and Robert Glenn Johnson Sr. His family, of Ulster Scots descent, had settled in North Carolina's foothills in the 18th century and was involved in the whiskey business. Johnson's father was a lifelong bootlegger who spent nearly 20 years in prison.
Johnson began his NASCAR career in 1955, winning five races and finishing sixth in the Grand National points standings. In 1958, he won six races, and by 1959, he was regarded as one of the best short-track racers in the sport.
Johnson's first win at a superspeedway came at the 1960 Daytona 500, where he used the drafting technique to slingshot past other cars. This technique, which he pioneered, became a common tactic in NASCAR races. In 1963, Johnson had a two-lap lead in the World 600 at Charlotte before a spectator threw a bottle onto the track, causing a crash.
One notable incident occurred in 1963 when Johnson tried but failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. He also suffered a crash at the World 600 when a spectator threw a bottle onto the track.
Johnson retired as a driver in 1966, with 50 victories, 11 of which were at major speedway races. He retired as the winningest driver never to have a championship.
As a team owner, Johnson worked with many notable NASCAR drivers, including Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, and Bobby Allison. His drivers won 132 races, which ranks fifth on the all-time list. His drivers won six Winston Cup Championships, with three championships each won with Yarborough and Waltrip. Johnson was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998 and inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on May 23, 2010.
Johnson also made a voice appearance in the animated film Cars 3 as Junior "Midnight" Moon, a reference to his Moonshine Company. In May 2007, Johnson teamed with Piedmont Distillers to introduce the company's second moonshine product, called "Midnight Moon Moonshine".
Johnson received a presidential pardon on December 26, 1986, from President Ronald Reagan for his 1956 moonshining conviction. He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1991. A stretch of U.S. Highway 421 was named in his honor in 2004, and he was named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023.
Johnson was married three times: briefly to Mary Gray in 1949, to Flossie Clark from 1975 to 1992, and to Lisa Day in 1992, with whom he had two children, Meredith Suzanne and Robert Glenn Johnson III. Johnson died on December 20, 2019, at the age of 88, due to Alzheimer's disease.
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