Benny Parsons chats with NASCAR VP Jim Hunter. Credit: Autostock

Parsons much more than NASCAR talking head

Revelation of lung cancer triggers recollections of 1973 Cup champ

Benny Parsons has lung cancer.

The words hang in the air, like a puff of smoke, for lack of a better analogy. ... But Benny doesn't smoke, I tell myself. At least I'd never seen him smoke, and it's hard to miss BP, "the Professor;" he's larger than life -- and it has nothing to do with the size of his frame.

Benny Parson cruises around North Carolina Speedway in a replica of the 1973 Chevy he drove to the Cup title. Credit: Autostock

Stats at a Glance Benny Parsons' Cup career Year Races Ws T5s T10s Poles 1964 1 0 0 0 0 1969 4 0 2 3 0 1970 45 0 12 23 1 1971 35 1 13 18 0 1972 31 0 10 19 0 1973 28 1 15 21 0 1974 30 0 11 14 0 1975 30 1 11 17 3 1976 30 2 18 23 2 1977 30 4 20 22 3 1978 30 3 15 21 2 1979 31 2 16 21 1 1980 31 3 16 21 2 1981 31 3 10 12 0 1982 23 0 10 13 3 1983 16 0 4 5 0 1984 14 1 7 10 2 1985 14 0 1 6 0 1986 16 0 2 4 1 1987 29 0 6 9 0 1988 27 0 0 1 0 Totals 526 21 199 283 20 SUPERSTORE •   Benny Parsons merchandise!

Indeed Benny doesn't smoke, now. He quit in 1978 -- more than 25 years ago.

But Benny Parsons has lung cancer.

BP was a Detroit cabbie before he began a 526-race career that featured 21 wins, 199 top-five finishes and 283 top-10s. He won the Winston Cup in 1973, beating Cale Yarborough by 67.15 points to become the first driver to win both ARCA and NASCAR championships. Parsons ranks 24th in victories (tied with Jimmie Johnson and Bobby Labonte).

Today's nouveau fans know Benny Parsons as the voice of NASCAR on NBC/TNT and from Fast Talk on PRN. How little they know; the man was -- rather, is -- more than a talking head, spouting "wedge," "spring rubbers," "Lucky Dog." He is a walking encyclopedia of NASCAR past and present.

And now, Benny Parsons has lung cancer.

BP began his NASCAR career on Aug. 9, 1964, at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway in Weaverville, N.C. He finished 21st; the race winner was Ned Jarrett, who later would partner with Parsons as race analysts at ESPN.

Parsons' first full Cup Series season was 1970 and he finished eighth in the point standings. He picked up his first win on May 9, 1971, at South Boston (Va.) Speedway. In 1972, he finished fifth in points and began a streak of 10 consecutive seasons of top-10 points finishes, nine of which were top-fives.

And now, Benny Parsons has lung cancer.

In 1975 Parsons won the Daytona 500, a victory that marked the first of seven consecutive seasons with a victory. Between 1975-81 BP won 18 races, bested only by Yarborough (43), Darrell Waltrip (39), Richard Petty (31), Bobby Allison (22) and David Pearson (21) -- all Cup champions.

NBC/TNT STATEMENT "Benny is an important part of our television families. We respect his privacy and will support him in any way we can in his efforts to get well."

Parsons' final victory came on March 18, 1984, at Atlanta when he fended off Dale Earnhardt, by 0.9 seconds, and Yarborough -- the only other cars on the lead lap. ... Clearly it was a bounce-back for all three drivers in the wake of Stroker Ace, a film Burt Reynolds chose over Terms of Endearment (which won the Oscar for Best Picture in '83 ... but at least he met Loni Anderson).

And now, Benny Parsons has lung cancer.

Parsons retired after the 1988 season, and proving to be as adept at calling a race as he was at driving one, BP won an ACE Award in '89 for best sports analyst in his first year broadcasting for ESPN.

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In 1994 he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, and in '96 won an Emmy for his TV analysis. As part of its 50th anniversary celebration in 1998, NASCAR named "The 50 Greatest NASCAR Drivers of All Time." Parsons was one of the chosen few; a group that Bill France said defined "the competition of our sport."

And now, Benny Parsons has lung cancer.

Parsons, who qualified for the 1982 Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway at 200.175 mph -- the first NASCAR qualifying run over 200 mph -- joined NBC/TNT in 2001 and still does his weekly radio gig on the Performance Racing Network. Last year he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

Even with his driving days well behind him, it's well known that Benny's eye for talent remains sharp; he brought a relative unknown commodity -- Greg Biffle -- to the attention of Jack Roush. Biffle won the 2000 Truck Series championship, the '02 Busch Series title and has 10 victories in the Cup Series in 134 starts.

Damn, Benny Parsons has lung cancer.

The opinions expressed are soley of the writer.