Racing
Jimmie Johnson withdraws from NASCAR race in Chicago: In-laws found dead in apparent murder-suicide
Nascar star, Jimmie Jonhson, has withdrawn from Sunday’s race in Chicago after his mother and father-in-law were found dead Monday in a suspected murder-suicide.
A tragedy unfolded on Monday at the Oklahoma residence of NASCAR star Jimmie Johnson’s wife, resulting in the death of her parents and 11-year-old nephew. Law enforcement authorities are currently investigating the incident as a murder-suicide.
Authorities in Muskogee, Oklahoma, reported that a shooting incident occurred at the residence of Jack Janway (69), Terry Janway (68), and their grandson Dalton Janway (11) on Monday evening. Following a disturbance call, the police discovered the three individuals with gunshot wounds. Dalton Janway is the grandson of Jack and Terry Janway and the nephew of Jimmie Johnson and his wife Chandra.
Law enforcement officials suspect that Terry Janway, Chandra’s mother, was responsible for the shooting.
Jimmie and Chandra Johnson have been married since 2004 and have two daughters, Genevieve and Lydia. Chandra Johnson grew up in Muskogee, where her father worked as a chiropractor in 1983.
“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 the news. “It was even more bone-chilling to find out there was a child involved. 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.”
Jonhson withdraws from NASCAR race
Jimmie Johnson, originally scheduled to participate in the NASCAR Cup Series race in Chicago on Sunday, has decided to withdraw. Legacy Motor Club, representing the Johnson family, has requested privacy during this time and has stated that no further statements will be released.
A highly accomplished NASCAR driver, Johnson achieved his final Cup Series championship in 2016. He shares the record for the most Cup championships in NASCAR history with Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty. After retiring from full-time NASCAR competition in 2020, Johnson went on to race in the IndyCar series for two seasons.