Happy Hour: Seven Days of Daytona Series #3

I think it says a lot about a man, when a man requests that donations be made to the Victory Junction Gang camp (for children) and the Blumenthal Cancer Center in lieu of a donation to his estate. Then again, any fan of stock car racing over the past years could have told you straight up what kind of man Benny Parsons was.

“BP” as he was affectionately known in the booths on select Sundays, never strived to be anything more than he could be, and that’s what made him special. Very much one of the “good ole boys”, Parsons first got into racing in 1963, racing at no-nothing tracks around his home in North Carolina. In 1965, Benny began racing with the ARCA Series, winning their Rookie of the Year honor. Three years later, BP would win the Series Championship in ARCA, and would repeat in 1969 as well. Then came the jump to NASCAR in 1970, and the legend of Benny Parsons was created. It took only one year for Benny to collect the first of his twenty one victories, paving the way for future success in 1973, when BP won the Winston Cup Championship. Two years later, in February of 1975, Benny Parsons further added to his résumé by winning the Daytona 500, thus achieving the two highest goals achievable in NASCAR. He would also win the 1980 World 600 (today the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte), adding one more crown jewel to his list of accomplishments.

Parsons was a record-setter in a number of ways. One of his most amazing accomplishments lies in his consistency. Over the course of 526 starts from 1970-1988, Benny Parsons finished in the top ten a remarkable 283 times. In addition, 199 of those races featured Parsons finishing in the top five, which is one of the highest marks for any NASCAR driver, past or present. Another record was set by Parsons, one which has since been broken, yet will probably not be passed again. During qualifying for the 1982 Winston 500 at Talladega, Parsons turned a qualifying lap of 200.175 MPH. It was the first time in NASCAR history that a driver had hit the 200 MPH average mark, breaking a speed barrier that was once thought impossible during the formulative years of the series.

Parsons would win his final race in 1984 at the Coca-Cola 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. During a stretch prior to this however, from 1974 through 1980, Parsons would remain between 3rd and 5th in the overall Winston Cup standings. In his last few years as a driver, Parsons would find himself taking the wheel of the Folgers Chevrolet for an ailing Tim Richmond, a popular (albeit flamboyant) driver who would die from complications related to AIDS. BP retired following the 1988 season, and began appearing on television covering races the very next year, broadcasting with ESPN first, and then making the move to NBC/TNT beginning in 2001. Parsons was honored for his commentary with both an ACE Award in 1989 and an ESPY Award in 1996. Right up until the end, Benny Parsons was beloved as one of the sport’s most well-versed and likeable commentators.

In the summer of 2006, Benny developed difficulties breathing. Ensuing tests uncovered the fact that Benny was suffering from lung cancer. After aggressive treatments, and the removal of an infected lung, BP was deemed cancer-free. Unfortunately, as is too often the case, the cancer treatments were just as harsh on Benny as the cancer itself was. He was in and out of work with complications stemming from his treatment. Then, in December, Parsons was placed in intensive care. On his website, Parsons left a final blog message, wishing everyone happy holidays. Benny Parsons died on January 16th, 2007 – he was 66 years old.

Among the countless people that Benny touched during his time in NASCAR, probably no one can sing his praises more than Greg Biffle. Parsons discovered Biffle in racing in Arizona, and persuaded Jack Rousch to sign Biffle, since the kid “would win him races”. Biffle, after a slow start to his Nextel Cup Career, emerged in 2004 as a promising new driver, then in 2005 as one of the sports top stars. He emerged in 2007 as one of the favorites for the Nextel Cup. That’s why people called Benny Parsons “the Professor”. Another driver that uses BP’s style as a template for success is Matt Kenseth, a former Coca-Cola 600 and Winston Cup Champion himself. The consistency demonstrated by the steadfast, soft-spoken Kenseth is remarkably similar to the consistency that made Benny Parsons one of NASCAR’s Top 50 Drivers.

While his voice may be silenced, his presence remains in the sport, owing to the respect and love that people had for him, and still do. Rarely, if ever will you hear someone speak negatively about Benny, because there was hardly anything not to love about him. BP was the best, and he will be dearly missed on Sundays.