Moment of Silence: Benny Parsons

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NASCAR has confirmed that Benny Parsons has passed away at the age of 65.

Benny was born in 1941 in Wilkes County, North Carolina and lived in Charlotte, North Carolina with wife Terri two sons, Kevin and Keith Parsons. He started racing in 1963 at Mt. Clemens Speedway and became the Automobile Racing Club Of America Rookie Of The Year in 1965. He went on to grab the ARCA Championship in 1968 and 1969. He was the first ARCA Champion inducted into The International Sports Hall of Fame.

Parsons joined NASCAR in 1970 and got his first Winston Cup victory was at South Boston Virginia Speedway in 1971. He became the Winston Cup Champion in 1973 and won the Daytona 500 in 1975.

He was the first person to every qualify a stock car over 200mph record holder but retired from competition immediately following the 1988 season.

Parsons then started his television career with ESPN as a race analyst in 1989 and then became an announcer and color commentator for NASCAR on NBC and TNT.
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RIP BP
 
I'm almost at a loss for words on this one. :( First Bobby Hamilton, now BP. Nascar will be racing with incredibly heavy hearts come Daytona. R.I.P Benny.
 
Man that sucks. We've lost two great Nascar driver's. Who's going to replace him during the NBC broadcasts?
 
Benny Parsons was a class act, through and through. He had a gentle touch in the booth, coupling knowledge and colloquialism but never relying too much on either. It was Benny Parsons who truly defined what a NASCAR broadcast should be (and he's the reason NASCAR's Fox Network package with Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds is so poorly received).

He will be greatly missed, and his influence on ABC Sports will be felt for years to come. For stock car racing, he was our Murray Walker.
 
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May heaven's clouds confort you.
Say hello to Bobby, Adam, and Dale for us.
 
I really didn't watch much NASCAR when Benny Parsons was a driver, but I know he was good. However, he was the best NASCAR commentator; he could make the personalities behind the cars and the unsung heroes behind the pit wall come alive with stories and tales, he used to fill the caution periods with stories of the people who lived near the racetrack (often, they had nothing to do with racing, which was neat), and tell you about stock-car lore from the past.

Watching NASCAR truly isn't going to be the same. RIP, Benny.
 
R.I.P. Benny, I just about cried when I saw that on Jayski's today. NASCAR really isn't gonna be the same without you buddy.
 
Let me say that I'm very saddened when I saw this news while at school. Two NASCAR racers lost the toughest races anyone can run- the race against cancer. Let me say that while I'm not a hardcore NASCAR fan, I loved what Bobby Hamilton and Benny Parsons have brought to NASCAR. This is very sad. We're losing some greats. Benny Parsons was a very good commentator for NBC. My only memories of BP were his commentating. He was positive, upbeat, respectful... just a great personality.

I can speak for almost all the people on GTPlanet in saying that you will be missed and loved, Benny Parsons. Thank you for the memories.
 
JohnBM01
Let me say that I'm very saddened when I saw this news while at school. Two NASCAR racers lost the toughest races anyone can run- the race against cancer. Let me say that while I'm not a hardcore NASCAR fan, I loved what Bobby Hamilton and Benny Parsons have brought to NASCAR. This is very sad. We're losing some greats. Benny Parsons was a very good commentator for NBC. My only memories of BP were his commentating. He was positive, upbeat, respectful... just a great personality.

I can speak for almost all the people on GTPlanet in saying that you will be missed and loved, Benny Parsons. Thank you for the memories.
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I do agree wholeheartely with what you said. I was a fan of Benny's when I first started watching NASCAR races on TV. With his loss, along with the passing of Bobby Hamilton, it's a tragic start for us NASCAR fans.
 
Benny will be missed in the booth. He was also a good sportscar driver from what I've read about him at other forums(namely VW Vortex). At a road race at Watkins Glen in the mid '70s, BP was partnered with the late Ronnie Peterson in a BMW. And Benny was quickly turning laps within a tenth of a second or so of Peterson's best. He also put in a good drive at the '76 Daytona 24. So Parsons was more than a NASCAR great on the track, off the track and in the booth.

Rest in Peace BP.
 

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