Labonte, Parsons honored in Victory Lap ceremony

Two champions participated in the NASCAR Victory Lap tribute Sunday prior to the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400. One then took the green, and the other took the mic.

	Benny Parsons

2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Bobby Labonte and 1972 champion Benny Parsons were those honored at North Carolina Speedway, as the ceremony made its second to last stop of the season.

Labonte currently sits eighth in the NASCAR Top 10, and is seeking his second win of the 2003 season Sunday, driving the No. 18 Interstate Batteries/Victory Lap Chevrolet. His quiet consistency has earned the respect of both fans and peers alike, as he showed in his 2000 championship season by scoring five wins and 23 top-five finishes in 34 races.

The other honoree, known to his fans as "BP", was NASCAR Winston Cup Champion in 1973. This afternoon, prior to his duties as color analyst for NBC, he took pace laps in his No. 72 Victory Lap Chevrolet to a nice reception from the Rockingham crowd.

Parsons has always had an outgoing personality, which shines through in his broadcasting.

Like Labonte, Parsons also knew how to be steady on the racetrack.

His 1973 championship season saw only one win (Bristol), yet "BP" was able to edge out the likes of David Pearson, Richard Petty, and Cale Yarborough for the trophy.

Aside from win in the 1975 Daytona 500, Parsons' most memorable on-track accomplishment may have been becoming the first driver in NASCAR history to qualify at over 200 mph for The Winston 500 at Talladega in 1982.

Parsons has taken many other honors, including being voted one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers, the Cable ACE Award in 1989, and induction to The International Motor Sports Hall of Fame and the Court of Legends at Lowe's Motor Speedway in 1994.

For his broadcasting efforts, Parsons took home the an Emmy award in 1996.

This will be NASCAR Victory Lap's eighth stop of the season. Its final ceremony for 2003 will take place in Miami, where it will honor reigning champion Tony Stewart and 7-time champion Richard Petty.