The in-laws of NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson were found dead in their Oklahoma home yesterday, and the local police are now investigating it as a murder-suicide.
Of those who were found deceased at the scene in the Muskogee, Oklahoma home were the parents of Johnson’s wife Chandra – Jack (69) and Terry (68) Janway – and tragically Johnson’s 11-year-old nephew (Jack and Terry’s grandson) Dalton Janway.
Marianne Janway, Johnson’s sister-in-law and mother of Dalton Janway, posted on Facebook late Monday night saying:
“Please tell this isn’t really happening, please God someone.”
Muskogee law enforcement are moving forward with an investigation and consider Terry Janway a suspect, even though there seems to be no known motive for the crime.
According to reports, Oklahoma police were called to the home by an unidentified woman that called 911 and then promptly hung up after informing authorities that someone in the Janway household had a gun.
Once officials reported to the scene shortly after 9 p.m. on Monday night, they found one of the bodies in the hallway of the home, then heard another gunshot from somewhere else inside the house. All three bodies that were eventually discovered within the home died from gunshot wounds.
Police reporting to the scene believe that the firing of the gun when police were on the scene was Terry Janway taking her own life. It is unknown if Terry is the unidentified woman that called the Muskogee police to originally report the incident.
Police officers believe that the woman that called 911 to originally report the disturbance was likely Terry Janway, who they consider the primary suspect in the murder-suicide. The investigation is still ongoing.
Jimmie and Chandra Johnson have been married since 2004, and have two daughters named Lydia and Genevieve.
Jimmie Johnson was expected to race this weekend in a NASCAR street event in Chicago, but the seven-time NASCAR Cup champion will pull out of the event.
Our hearts and prayers go out to the Johnson family.
NASCAR Details A Month & A Half Of Traffic Closures For Chicago Street Race
Incase you haven’t heard, NASCAR is bringing street racing to Chicago, Illinois for the two-day Chicago Street Race and music festival, slated for the 4th of July weekend.
When the news broke, it definitely raised some eyebrows for racing fans, but as you can imagine, this date has been absolutely dreaded by Chicago residents.
Living in big cities, the traffic is already horrific as it is, but throw in the fact that a street race is going to close down some major, heavily-trafficked roadways in the city, this could possibly turn out to be an absolute nightmare for residents.
According to NBC 5 Chicago, street closures include highly trafficked roadways such as Columbus Drive, Michigan Avenue, and DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
The traffic plan shows that preparation and closures are slated to begin on June 25th, and construction breakdown is expected to last until mid-July, which is close to the dates of Lollapalooza, which is August 3-6.
It goes without saying, but closing streets for a month and a half, in some of the busiest parts of one of the largest cities in the country, can’t be good for people living and commuting in the area.
And along with the closures, they expect around 50,000 spectators to attend the event.
NASCAR officials shared in a statement:
“Additional information, including plans to ensure local access, rerouting information, and specific reopening timelines, will be shared through the NASCAR Chicago Street Race community information website launching later this month.”
Ald. Brian Hopkins told the outlet:
“It’s going to be a difficult summer for Grant Park. No question about it.
Our job is to make sure as many people who are impacted by this as possible find out about it as far in advance as we can, so they can make plans accordingly and try to minimize the disruption to their lives.”
The 2.2 mile course will include 12 turns along Lake Michigan and around the city’s Grant Park.
A virtual community meeting hosted by NASCAR officials is slated for 6 PM tonight, so the public can learn more about the race and ask questions.
Needless to say, I can imagine there are some pretty unhappy Chicago residents that will be attending the virtual meeting, just judging by some tweets I’ve seen so far:
I’m a NASCAR fan and considering that Chicagoland Speedway was built to be a NASCAR staple for the future and then shit-canned, for what I can only assume was lack of attendance, a shutdown of Chicago is a complete waste of time to try to get a fan base that has never been there.
— HowYouDoin? (@63JayCee) April 12, 2023
This is going to be a nightmare. A massive race like this does NOT belong in a dense urban neighborhood.
The people who actually live in Chicago were not consulted, and we ALL hate it.
I know people who are going to be put out of work for weeks because of this fiasco.
— AuntieG (@Saffi_Anne) April 12, 2023
Miranda Lambert, Charley Crockett & More To Perform
What a lineup…
NASCAR just announced that Miranda Lambert and The Chainsmokers will be headlining Street Race weekend, along with other performances by Charley Crockett and The Black Crowes.
The event will be the first-ever street race in the NASCAR Cup Series, officially dubbed the Chicago Street Race, and will be held on July 1st and 2nd.
Chicago Street Race President Julie Giese says they wanted to bring out some of the best artists in the business for the special occasion:
“The Chicago Street Race is truly a first-of-its-kind two-day sports and entertainment event in the 75-year history of NASCAR.
We are proud to welcome superstars The Chainsmokers, Miranda Lambert, The Black Crowes, and Charley Crockett as we reimagine the NASCAR experience in the heart of downtown Chicago over Fourth of July weekend.”
Charley will open for Miranda on Sunday ahead of the main event, and she will have a full-length concert to get everyone warmed up for the Cup Series street race.
It’s sure to be a helluva weekend, and public ticket on-sale will begin on February 2nd:
“A two-day racing and music festival like you’ve never seen before.”
