TRIBUTES/MEMORIALS TO LEGENDS

            Benny Parsons                        

       Born July 12, 1941, Parsons became an Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) hero winning the ARCA Championship in 1968 and 1969. In 1970 Parsons switched to NASCAR's Winston Cup racing circuit, and that same year finished in the top 10 a total of 23 times out of 45 races.

In 1973 Parsons won the NASCAR Winston Cup championship and in 1975 he captured the Daytona 500. Parsons was the first driver to break the 200 mph barrier in qualifying when he ran 200.176 mph to win the pole for the 1982 Winston 500 at Talladega.

Throughout his racing career Parsons was a consistent top finisher. Between 1965 and 1969 he won 16 ARCA races. In NASCAR he won 21 Winston Cup races, placed in the top five 199 times and placed in the top ten 283 times. Parsons is the only driver to win both the ARCA and the NASCAR Winston Cup Championships.

In 1988 Parsons retired after 526 career NASCAR starts to become a full-time broadcaster and maintain his own automotive parts business.