Nearly 200 fans, friends, and former competitors, traveled from nine different states to pay tribute to Johnny Rutherford at the 2012 Racers Reunion Banquet in Irving, Texas. 
It was 50 years ago in September, 1962 that Johnny started racing the Championship Trail. He has come a long way from his humble beginnings of first racing in 1959 at a Dallas rock quarry known as the Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
Special guest for the evening included Jim Hall, along with his wife Sandy, who came to the Racers Reunion to help honor one of his most successful drivers, as well as his close friend. In 1980 they won the Indy 500 and Indy Car Championship together. 
Also one of Johnny’s long-time competitors, Al Unser and his wife Susan, traveled from New Mexico to pay tribute to Lone Star JR. Al, winner of four Indy 500s, was delighted to share racing stories about his on-track encounters with Johnny.
Doug Schiller, an expert on quarter midget race cars, delivered a very informative and entertaining presentation on the history of quarter midget race cars. Schiller’s father manufactured over 300 Offyettes in a span of seven years.
In addition to tables of memorabilia, scrap books, photo albums and trophies, there was also a display of 25 vintage race cars.
