Justice Brothers

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  10. American motorsport people
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  17. Duarte, California


Justice Brothers, Inc.
Type automotive
Industry automotive
Headquarters Flag of the United States.svg Duarte, California USA
Key people Ed Justice, Jr.
Products oil
Website http://www.justicebrothers.com

Edward Ray Justice, Sr. (born June 12, 1921 in Paola, Kansas)

Lawrence Milton "Zeke" Justice (born March 12, 1920 in Paola, Kansas)

James Russell "Gus" Justice (born July 16, 1916 in Paola, Kansas)

The Justice Brothers[1][2] , Ed[3], Gus[3] and Zeke[3] were well-known influential[peacock term] figures in motorsports and the oil additive industry. They were the founders of Justice Brothers, Inc., a worldwide manufacturer of Car Care Products.

Early years

The Justice Brothers were associated with cars and speed since the earliest years of their life. Growing up the 1920s in Paola, Kansas, they started driving before they were teenagers. The lure of the car crazy culture of Southern California called and Ed Justice, Sr. responded by driving out on the famed Route 66 to his new home. The trip was paid for by his three passengers who paid $25 each and were allowed to bring anything that fit in a peck sack. Ed was able to convince his brother Zeke to leave his job at Western Auto in Kansas City by getting him a job with the legendary multi-millionaire Joel Thorne as part of his race shop fabrication crew. Thorne and his crew won the 1946 Indy 500 with George Robson as his driver. During his time their Zeke met a young Frank Kurtis who had a rented space in the Thorne shop. Zeke would later become Frank's first employee when he formed Kurtis-Kraft. During his time at Thorne Engineering[4] in Burbank, California, Zeke worked on a variety projects including the occasional side projects. One interesting side project was the modification of a car for a young Bill Pollack. Bill would later win the first grand prix at Pebble Beach in 1951. Bill also designed the road racecourse in Southern California known as Willow Springs.

Ed enlisted into the Army Air Corps during the beginning of World War II and served in the eighth airforce in Europe. Zeke suffered from Polio and was unable to serve in the military. He continued to work for Joel Thorne, who's shop was now making aircraft parts for the war effort.

Post World War II

After World War II was over, Frank Kurtis started Kurtis-Kraft and it was at this time that Zeke became his first employee. Following World War II Ed joined Zeke at Kurtis-Kraft. Both were part of a small crew that constructed a reported 500 midget cars. Zeke was also part of the team that built the legendary Novi engine powered Indy car. Because of Ed's background as a aircraft mechanic, he suggested to Zeke one day that they should add Dzus fasteners to the Kurtis midget they were working on instead of the currently used 'nut plates'.[4] Thus resulted in the first use of Dzus fasteners on a racecar. During their time at Kurtis-Kraft, they started a racecar repair and fabrication shop they operated during their free hours of nights and weekends. It was called Justice Brothers Racecar Repair & Fabrication. They built a midget car for themselves during this time and after racing it once at Gilmore Stadium in Los Angeles, they sold the car for a $2,500 profit. They subsequently invested this money into the oil business. In 1946, the Justice Brothers attended their first Indianapolis 500. Zeke was a crewmember on the team of Bayliss Leverett. The brothers also sponsored this car. 4 years later, they won the race as sponsors of Frank Kurtis' factory Indianapolis 500 entry with driver Johnnie Parsons[5]. In 1952, they scored a second place finish with Jim Rathmann driving for Andy Granatelli and his brothers Joe and Vince.

During this time, the Justice Brothers had moved to Jacksonville, Florida and had become involved in the formation of a new organization known as NASCAR. They had met Bill France Sr. by selling him their oil products for use at his service station. They became the first multi-car sponsor in NASCAR with their companies’ logo appearing on virtually every car. Their attendance and participation in the very beginning of NASCAR has appeared in many books including Smokey Yunick's 3-volume autobiography. Smokey was a close personal friend of Zeke Justice. One of the many notable victories they achieved in NASCAR was at the inaugural Southern 500 held at the new Darlington racetrack in Darlington, South Carolina. Darlington Raceway was the first 'Super Speedway' built for NASCAR racing. Johnny Mantz delivered the second major victory for the Justice Brothers in 1950 by driving car owner Hubert Westmoreland's Plymouth to victory in NASCAR's first 500 mile race. The Justice Brothers were the sole sponsor on Westmoreland and Mantz's car.

Current

The company has been led for the past 25 years by Ed Justice, Jr. who also is the host of ROAD & TRACK SPEED radio a nationally syndicated radio show broadcast through the Radio America Network, XM Satellite Radio, Apple iTunes and also streamed live via the internet. Ed Justice, Jr. has added over 85 items to the product line under his leadership. In 2007, the Justice Brothers celebrated their 62nd year of participation in the Indianapolis 500 with the sponsorship of PJ Jones, son of the 1963 winner Parnelli Jones. In recent years Justice Brothers were sponsors of Greg Ray, front row qualifier in 1998, Jeff Ward, 2nd place finisher in 1999 and Eddie Cheever 5th place finisher in 2000. They are also sponsors of numerous teams throughout all forms of motor sport around the world. They claimed victory in the 2003 and 2004 24 Hours of LeMans as sponsors of the Petersen Motorsports Porsche.

The Justice Brothers eventually found their way back to California where the company in headquartered today. A collection of racing vehicles and classic cars is housed in a building next to the companies’ world headquarters in Duarte, California. Justice Brothers, Inc. continues to manufacturer and distribute their line of Car Care Products, Fleet, Farm, and Industrial Lubricants and Cleaners. The products are sold around the world by independent distributors.

Famous employees and business associates

  • Johnnie Parsons - 1950 Indy 500 winner
  • Roger Ward - 2 time Indy 500 winner
  • Duane Carter, Sr. - Indy and Champ Car driver
  • Benny Parsons - Daytona 500 winner & NASCAR Cup Champion
  • Steve Bovan - Early Funny Car competitor
  • Nelson Carter - Funny Car driver and owner
  • Cotton Farmer - Midget, Sprint and Indy 500 driver

Notable sponsorships

  • Johnnie Parsons/Frank Kurtis - 1950 Indianapolis 500 - Winner
  • Jim Rathmann/Grantelli Brothers - 1952 Indianapolis 500 - 2nd Place
  • Johnny Mantz - 1950 Southern 500 - Winner
  • Don Garlits - Legendary Drag Racer - First Sponsor
  • A.J. Foyt - 4 Time Indianapolis 500 Winner
  • Gary Beck/Larry Minor - 1983 NHRA Champion
  • Lee Petty - Early NASCAR competitor
  • Buck Baker - Early NASCAR competitor
  • Connie Kalitta - Drag Racing Legend
  • Don Prudhomme - Drag Racing Legend

Interesting information

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (May 2011)
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2011)
  • Ed and Zeke Justice placed the first Dzus fasteners on a racecar while working at Kurtis-Kraft. It was on 'Bullet' Joe Garson's midget while Frank Kurtis was gone and was inspired by Ed's earlier years as an aircraft mechanic.
  • Rock and Roll star Sammy Hagar founded an early band called the Justice Brothers after seeing a Justice Brothers delivery van in the California beach area. He also worked at an auto parts store and had sold the product.
  • Justice Brothers products appeared in the movie GREASE
  • Actor Christian Bale wore a Justice Brothers t-shirt in the movie The Machinist. Many[who?] think it had an underlying message to the film.
  • Actor Matthew McConaughey wore a Justice Brothers drivers uniform in the movie EDtv.
  • Zeke Justice fabricated the front nose shell on Freddie Agabashian's 1952 Indy entry, the Cummins Diesel Special. Freddie sat on the pole with this car.
  • Their sponsorship of the 1950 Indy winner cost them $5,000 for the whole racing season. This was Frank Kurtis' home team car with the 1949 National Champion, Johnnie Parsons driving.
  • The Justice Brothers sponsored the only Indy Car ever built in Florida in 1953. The car was built by Lou and Howard Moore. Lou Moore owned the famous Blue Crown Specials that won the Indy 500 3 times from 1947 to 1949.

Death

James “Gus” Justice died of stomach cancer in 1983. Lawrence “Zeke” Justice died of prostate cancer on August 9, 2001. Ed Justice, Sr. died of heart failure on August 30, 2008.

Awards and recognition

  • Ed Justice - Inducted into the NASCAR West Coast Hall of Fame
  • Ed Justice - Recipient of the Walt & Dottie James Award for support of Open Wheel Racing
  • Ed Justice, Zeke Justice & Ed Justice, Jr. - Admitted into the Indianapolis 500 Oldtimers Club
  • The Justice Brothers - 1999 Western Racing Association Honorees

References

  1. ↑ "Justice Brothers information". directory.pten.com. September 3, 2008. http://directory.pten.com/profile/50479/Justice_Brothers. Retrieved September 24, 2008.
  2. ↑ "Justice Brothers, Inc.". findarticles.com. March 1997. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1052/is_n3_v118/ai_19210951/. Retrieved September 24, 2008. "Justice Brothers Car Care Products, Inc., a company that specializes in high-quality car care products engineered to prolong the life of vehicles, enhance their performance and at the same time increase fuel economy, has found a home in the export market."
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Leigh Buchanan (November 1, 2008). [http:// http://www.inc.com/magazine/20081101/legacy-ed-justice-sr-1921-2008.html "Legacy: Ed Justice, Sr. 1921-2008"]. INC.com. http:// http://www.inc.com/magazine/20081101/legacy-ed-justice-sr-1921-2008.html. Retrieved September 21, 2008. "For 60 years, racecars at Baja, Daytona and Indianapolis have roared across the finish line with Justice Brothers logos on their sides and Justice Brothers products under their hoods."
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Mark Vaughn (September 2, 2008). "Ed Justice, Sr dies at 87". AUTOWEEK.com. http://www.autoweek.com/article/20080902/free/809029987. Retrieved September 22, 2008. "Ed worked for Douglas Aircraft and Zeke for Joel Thorne racing fabrication shop."
  5. ↑ "Car Care Company co-founder dies at 87". USATODAY.com. September 3, 2008. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/2008-09-03-4132071056_x.htm. Retrieved September 22, 2008. "The company's reputation was enhanced by sponsoring the winning car driven by Johnnie Parsons at the 1950 Indianapolis 500. Justice Brothers, now based in Duarte, Calif., went on to sponsor winning cars in nearly every form of racing."

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