John Louis Zendejas Sr. was born in 1944 in Dunsmuir, California. His mother's side of the family was equally German and English, with his grandfather being a second-generation German immigrant and his grandmother coming from a long line of American heritage. John's mother and stepfather had three other children: Anita, Maria, and Michael. John's early years were spent helping his family and attending school, but he dropped out of high school at a young age to work as a day laborer with his stepfather to support his family.
At 18, John joined the Air Force, serving for three years before being discharged. After the Air Force, he became a police officer in Santa Maria, California, but he quit after just one year. John then turned to show business, joining a team of traveling professional wrestlers and becoming one of the original pioneers of the sport. He wore a cape and mask and performed WWF-style moves for captive audiences, predating the WWF's heyday.
John married and began to realize that professional wrestling wouldn't financially support a family. He turned to the racecar industry, convincing some old friends to let him drive dragsters for them. After a successful stint, his wife convinced him to stop driving due to the danger, and he settled for managing the Santa Maria race track instead.
It was during this time that John developed the idea for a sticky liquid spray called VHT, which gave race car tires better traction. The spray quickly caught on, and all race tracks began using it. John's work on VHT led him to meet an individual who wanted to make a movie about drag racing, and he was convinced to play the lead role. Although the film, Burnout, was a flop, John discovered he enjoyed acting and began attending a prestigious acting school in LA.
John landed roles on TV shows such as Battlestar Galactica, Hawaii Five-O, The Rockford Files, Wonder Woman, The Incredible Hulk, Starsky and Hutch, and more. He also appeared in films like Bad Boys and Colors, starring alongside Sean Penn, who became a close friend. John's acting career was marked by a variety of roles, including films like Halloween 2 and Backtrack, but his television work comprised the majority of his work.
During his acting career, John also pursued bodybuilding, performing in smaller shows before working his way up to bigger ones. He eventually quit competing and went on to teach acting at the Orange County High School of the Arts and direct large-scale plays.
In the early 1990s, John refocused on his love for racing, joining the NHRA and becoming the curator of the Hot Rod Museum in Pomona, California. Tragically, John contracted pancreatic cancer in 1994, which took his life at the age of 50. He was inducted into the NHRA Hall of Fame the following year in recognition of his contributions to the development of motor sports.
