 | | Michael Waltrip's car displayed love for Benny Parsons, and several drivers and crewmen signed the quarterpanel. Credit: Autostock |
NASCAR.COM
January 17, 2007
12:25 PM EST (17:25 GMT)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Benny Parsons was a man who was larger than life, his sizable girth notwithstanding. Tuesday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway, in the wake of the former Cup champion's death from the complications of lung cancer treatment, through misty eyes the love was flowing as many of the sport's leading figures shared their best memory of B.P. DAVE RODMAN, NASCAR.COM -- My first contact with Benny was a great introduction to the sport of Winston Cup racing, as a young motorsports writer covering his fourth live Cup race in 1984. Parsons won the 21st and final victory of his career, in the spring at Atlanta Motor Speedway by a comfortable half-second margin over a lean, mean Dale Earnhardt. Afterward, Parsons sat in the press box on an impromptu dais, exhausted, his Copenhagen uniform unzipped to the waist exposing his sweaty white chest as he regaled a rapt audience of reporters with tales of the win, as well as life in general. It was B.P. at his best. Later that season Parsons figured prominently in Richard Petty's 200th career victory at Daytona when, in the race's late stages, Parsons nudged rookie Doug Heveron's Chevrolet into a spin exiting the tri-oval, which resulted in a sailing aero-flip into the grass inside Turn 1 and the caution that set up Petty's dramatic side-by-side surge to the yellow with Cale Yarborough. Shortly after the checkers Heveron, fresh from the care center, found the veteran Parsons and apologized for his indecision in picking a lane to get out of the eventual fifth-place finisher's way. In his classic style B.P. accepted the gesture, but gently educated "the rook" in a harsh reality of racing. "That's OK, I understand," Parsons said. "But I had to go." It was maybe one of a small handful of harsh moves Parsons ever made, but in his inimitable style, he made it acceptable. Fast forward more than 20 years, and the good ol' boy nature of the sport -- and Parsons' comfortable and comforting place in it -- came to the fore at Daytona when some buddies of his came over from Plant City, Fla., for preseason testing. The guys really appreciated the opportunity Parsons afforded them to come in and mingle with the best of Cup racing society for a day -- and showed it by carrying a pickup truck full of strawberry flats from home, which happens to be the unofficial strawberry capital of Florida. But B.P. went the extra mile by making sure every hauler in the garage had a couple flats of luscious berries onboard -- and he included the media center on his rounds. Spreading the wealth, even in such a thoughtful, but innocuous way, was just Benny's mode. It's probably every kid's dream to mess with heavy equipment -- even for a few minutes if not as a realistic career opportunity -- and Parsons was like a kid in a candy store a few years ago when Daytona International Speedway president Robin Braig enlisted him to come over and initiate the razing of the track's former infield prior to its current reconfiguration. Parsons, who with wife Terri had a home in nearby Port Orange, Fla., got to operate a jackhammer to begin sectioning the racetrack, tried to knock down the wall with a bulldozer and actually began the demolition of "Garage C" with a giant hydraulic claw tool. And he never stopped grinning throughout the deal. Phil Holmer, a field representative for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. who's worked in a variety of roles in racing over a long career, struggled to separate Parsons' wealth of good guy stories -- ultimately coming up with one. "The only thing I ever heard Benny say that wasn't totally positive came here at Daytona," Holmer said. "A comparison of today's drivers to the old-timers was being discussed, and Benny laughed and said 'I would have liked to see some of these [current era] guys drive the cars we had to drive at Daytona.' "I'll tell you what," Holmer said, "those guys did have some forearms on 'em, even the little guys like Tom Pistone. But Benny was a champion -- and he was a champion as a person, as well." Steve Hmiel, an executive with Dale Earnhardt Inc., worked at Parsons' L.G. DeWitt shop when he first came to the Carolinas, in the mid-'70s while he worked full-time for gear specialist Tex Powell. "Benny was real committed," Hmiel said, grinning. "We were down at DeWitt's, down there in Ellerbe [N.C.], where Mr. DeWitt owned just about everything in the area. "Benny would be in the shop every day, but of course there were only six or eight of us who worked there -- and I didn't work there full-time. But Benny was a hard worker. "The only time he wasn't there -- and you could guarantee he wouldn't be there -- and he wasn't out playing golf, he wasn't out fooling around with women or hung over. "He was just a young guy racing, and he was there every day except Tuesday afternoon, and that's when he went to get his scalp treatments so he wouldn't go bald. Obviously that didn't work for him or any of us, though I never took 'em -- but like clockwork every Tuesday that was the only time committed Benny Parsons wasn't in the shop, working." Parsons' largesse and empathy was remembered by Denny Darnell, a PR representative for Evernham Motorsports who formerly was an executive at Bristol Motor Speedway in the 1980s before leaving for a stint with the NHRA. After about seven years away from the sport he ran into Parsons, who was talking to a couple track operators in the Daytona garage area during Speedweeks, and Parsons interrupted their conversation to say, "This guy is one of greatest track operators I've ever had the privilege of knowing." "That meant more to me than anything that's ever been said to me in motorsports," Darnell said. "Because I had the utmost respect for Benny, and for him to come out of the clear blue to not just say 'hello,' but to say what he did -- I mean, he was a gentleman, he was a class act and he didn't hesitate to say nice things about people." Petty Enterprises' Robbie Loomis claimed he didn't know Benny as well as PE icon Dale Inman -- cousin Richard Petty's crew chief for most of his 200 career victories -- who was upstairs spotting for Kyle Petty on Tuesday afternoon during preseason testing at Daytona. "The only thing I knew, really, was that Benny was a really good guy," Loomis said, hesitating to catch his emotions. "He was somebody everybody liked in the garage, and I loved his commentating because he commentated on the guys in the sport, and he wasn't commentating on himself. "It seemed like to me he was the most consistently nice guy there was. I remember there were times with [Jeff] Gordon's deal where I'd run from reporters, but B.P. was one of those guys you'd run after and keep chasing, because you wanted to spend some time talking to him. "And you know, I think because he was a driver and he's been there, and he was a champion, he was compassionate when things were bad, but he reported on it, too." Waddell Wilson, the legendary crew chief and engine builder who won the 1975 Daytona 500 with Parsons, shared some memories Tuesday. "I remember him from the '60s, coming to Holman-Moody and getting engines and building his cars," Wilson said. "He came up the hard way, like a lot of us did, building and working on his own cars. He earned everything the hard way, but he never, ever changed -- he was always the same. "I remember the serious side of [Benny] more than anything. He wanted to win as bad as anyone, but I guess if he had any weaknesses it was that he loved to eat like a lot of us did -- and to get in shape was always hard for him to do. When we were down in Ellerbe working together we got him a bicycle and wanted him to ride it back and forth to the shop, from home." Eddie Roche, who directs International Speedway Corp.'s archives department, told a classic tale last week when he called to inquire about Parsons. Roche said Parsons called him from his mother-in-law's home in Port Orange one day and said, "Eddie, I'm over here with two women and I have to get away for a while. Can I come over for a visit?" Roche laughed when he said, "of course," and ended up with a priceless final memory when B.P. came over for a couple hours of tales and reviewing memorabilia before he said, "Thanks, time's up -- I gotta get back." For most in the sport, "thanks" goes to you, Benny. DAVID CARAVIELLO, NASCAR.COM -- Driver and team owner Michael Waltrip is carrying a special message on his No. 55 Toyota at this week's Jackson Hewitt Preseason Thunder test at Daytona: "We love you BP!" "We were hoping that Benny had improved enough that he could see it -- but we also knew he was in bad shape," Waltrip said. "We knew Terri -- it would lift her spirits if she saw it. "We want to get everybody in the whole garage area to sign it, crew guys, media, everybody, and take a nice picture of it and give it to Terri just to show that one little part of the racing world at Daytona for a test session certainly loved Benny and appreciated what he stood for. "Benny and I were buddies. I grew up watching him race. I was in Atlanta when he won it in '84. We were just closer than a lot of people are in the garage area. He was in Victory Lane when I won that [Busch] race [at Bristol, Tenn.] and asked Buffy to marry me. "I always tell him that him being there made that seem right. So we share that moment together, and others during the course of time. I just smile when I think about Benny, and know that we had a good time together over the years. "When we'd play golf, he'd say, 'OK, B.P., nice and easy.' And then he would make the darnedest move at it you ever saw in your life. I'd say, 'Which part of that was nice and easy, because I didn't see it?' "He was a lot of fun away from the track. He appreciated the sport and wanted to preserve it, protect it. I think this NASCAR racing world is better because Benny spent so much time in it." James Hylton, who's making an attempt at the Daytona 500 at age 72, was told the news of Parsons' passing by a reporter in Daytona's garage, and was moved to tears. "Oh, that's too bad -- that's bad news," Hylton said. "He's a very special friend [and I knew him] as good as you could know anybody. He and I drove the same car for a sponsor. "As a champion, he was one of the greats. Just a few days ago we were talking about how ill he was, but it's a shock. "His personality [made him resonate to so many people]. You could walk up to Benny back in his racing days. Everybody was his friend. He had no enemies at all. "He had that kind of a teddy bear face on him, and you had to like him. And he'd do anything for you. He was that kind of person." Veteran Kenny Wallace was dealing with the dual impact of losing his father-in-law, wife Kim's father, literally within minutes of Parsons' passing. "He always told me, 'Watch the monitor, because if you watch the racetrack, you won't see what the fans are seeing,' " Wallace said of Parsons schooling him on broadcasting. "And later on, he was the guy who said, 'Kenny, would you please come announce with me at NBC?' "I couldn't do it, so they got Wally Dallenbach. I guess the moral of the story is -- Benny was always there for me, always wanted to help me. "He was a champion racecar driver, but fans loved him more because of his TV personality. That says a lot about what type of character he had. It's hard to have everybody like you, but he pulled it off. He had a great life. "I'll tell you what my first recollection of Benny Parsons was. I came down here: Me [and brothers] Rusty, Mike, mom and dad, in the '70s, and I'll never forget him winning in that King's Row gold and white No. 72. "He won the Daytona 500 in the King's Row No. 72. I had that [toy] model. It's funny how people make an impact on your life. Because when Benny won the Daytona 500, I was a kid out of St. Louis, and I built that model. That's pretty cool. "When he was the main guy at NBC, he called me up when my Eel River team wasn't doing good. My daughters were playing softball, and he called me at the softball field and says, 'FOX network is having a lot of fun. We're worried that with two people in the booth, we're not going to have a lot of fun. We'd really like you to come over with me and Allen Bestwick.' "I went down and tried out. My tryout with Benny Parsons and Allen went good. Then I got out, and I had a call that the mayonnaise company [Duke's] ended up sponsoring Eel River. But the moral of the story is Benny was always nice to me. "He reminds me a lot of Darrell Waltrip. Darrell Waltrip once said something that I agree should go to Benny. Darrell said, 'I won three championships and 70-80 races, and nobody cares. They all like me because of TV.' "Benny was a great champion, but everybody loved him because of 'Buffet Benny' and that he was such a good guy. He won over everybody's heart, and to me, that's a victory right there. "When you think about Benny, nobody is going to have any problems with his eulogy. There are so many stories about Benny. Think about how he won the championship. He crashed, they had to go cut the roll bars out of a perfectly good racecar, put those roll bars in his racecar and finish the championship out. He wins the Daytona 500 when nobody expects him to." JOE MENZER, NASCAR.COM -- Ricky Rudd had an opportunity to interact with Parsons on a variety of levels, and appreciated him on every one of them. "Benny was a super guy who never lost track of where he came from," Rudd said. "He was an everyday guy. He was very approachable. It didn't matter if you were in the sport or a fan or whatever. "He was just a very approachable guy. Whatever you saw was what you got. I had a lot of respect for Benny on and off the racetrack." DAVID LEVY
President, Turner Sports
"The passing of Benny Parsons is a phenomenal loss, not only for the sport of NASCAR, but for the Turner Sports family as well. Benny was one of the most personable guys I've ever met and his genuine commitment and love for NASCAR made him one of the sports' greatest ambassadors. "He was truly a class act. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who mourns his loss. He will be missed." JEFF BEHNKE
Executive Producer, Turner Sports
"Today the TNT family lost a very special person with the passing of Benny Parsons. He was a friend, a colleague and a wonderful person to all those around him, and over the past six years Benny served as the rock of TNT's NASCAR family, on both a professional and personal level. "It has truly been our honor to develop a deep friendship with him. He was a genuine person with a big heart that enjoyed all life had to offer. We express our sincere condolences to Benny's family, NASCAR and all those in the NASCAR community that knew and loved him. He will be deeply missed." Brian France -- chairman and CEO, NASCAR: "Benny Parsons was a true champion, both on the racetrack and in life. Benny loved our sport and the people that make it up and those people loved him. "He will be remembered as being a great ambassador for the sport. Our thoughts and prayers go to Terri and all of Benny's family." BRIAN FRANCE
Chairman and CEO, NASCAR
"Benny Parsons was a true champion, both on the racetrack and in life. Benny loved our sport and the people that make it up and those people loved him. "He will be remembered as being a great ambassador for the sport. Our thoughts and prayers go to Terri and all of Benny's family." RON DRAGER
President, Automobile Racing Club of America
"First and foremost, Benny Parsons was a nice guy. He never forgot where he came from, and took every opportunity to remember and help people after he had achieved so much success and was in a position to do so. "When he was the Guest of Honor at the ARCA 50th anniversary awards banquet in 2003, he asked if he could have a table for some VIPs -- and invited his ARCA pit crew from the 1960s, when he won ARCA championships in 1968 and 1969, to sit with him. "Having known him since he was racing figure-8s locally in Detroit, his demeanor never changed -- enthusiastic, positive, friendly. Championship racecar driver, Daytona 500 winner, internationally known TV broadcaster -- he was all of those things, but always a nice guy." DARRELL WALTRIP
Former Cup champion, FOX Sports broadcaster
"Benny Parsons was the kindest, sweetest, most considerate person I have ever known. He was almost too nice to be a racecar driver and I say that as a compliment. "In my 30 odd years of racing Benny Parsons, I never knew of anyone being mad at Benny. Some of my fondest memories in racing were racing Benny. In the Coca-Cola 600, we had a whale of a battle and it was one of the best races ever held at Charlotte. "One of the funniest was in the 1981 -- Bud Shootout [then known as the Busch Clash]. I passed Benny on the apron at the start/finish line to win the race. Benny said 'you can't do that!' I said, 'I didn't see any out-of-bounds markers!' You sure couldn't do that today. "Benny Parsons was a great champion, a great ambassador for our sport but more than that, he was a great person. He exemplified that good guys can be winners, too. "Stevie [wife], the girls and I pray for Terri, [brother] Phil and the entire Parsons family to find the strength to get through this." JEFF GORDON
Four-time Cup champion
"I am extremely saddened after hearing the news [Tuesday] morning. Benny was a special person and anyone who came in contact with him knew it. He was one of the most genuine and generous individuals I've ever met. He was a great racecar driver, broadcaster and friend. I will miss him very much." MATT KENSETH
Former Cup champion
"More than anything, I remember how happy Benny always was, how he's always around the sport that he loved. He's a great champion and a great TV announcer. And the best about Benny is he is always happy. "Even the last time I saw him, he was at Homestead, and had this girl carrying his oxygen bottle, and he's in the garage and he's just as happy as he could be. You knew he didn't feel good, but he still came down to see everybody and wish them luck and hang out in the garage, because that's where he wanted to be. "That's really what I remember about him. More than anything think about his family and pray for his family. It's always a tough time for everybody involved, but especially his immediate family." GREG BIFFLE
Nextel Cup driver
(Parsons recommended to Jack Roush)
"Benny Parsons is not only the person I owe my NASCAR career to, but he was a true friend to me from the day we met. "I will always appreciate his friendship and what he did for me. Knowing he's not going to be there to come up and ask me how things are going when I walk into the garage at Daytona is probably the hardest thing to accept. "Every time I think about how lucky I am to have the job and the life I have, I think of B.P. because he's the reason I ever got this opportunity. I will miss him a lot, as we all will. B.P. and his family are in my thoughts and prayers." RICHARD CHILDRESS
President and CEO of Richard Childress Racing
"Benny Parsons was a special person. I have many great memories from our days racing against each other as well as during his broadcast career. Millions of people welcomed him into their homes each week through his radio and television work and he became a friend of the family. "Benny was a fighter and, even when he became ill, he went on with his life like he knew he could beat it. He was a strong man with great plans and it is a big loss for all of us who knew him." JACK ROUSH
Owner, Roush Racing
"Everyone at Roush Racing is saddened by the passing of Benny Parsons. Benny was a great friend and supporter of Roush Racing and he will be greatly missed. "He was an outstanding ambassador for NASCAR and the sport of racing who was a champion both on and off the track. On behalf of everyone at Roush Racing I want to extend my deepest sympathy to the entire Parsons family." ED PEPER
General Manager, Chevrolet
"The motorsports world lost a deserving champion and a respected broadcast journalist [Tuesday] with the passing of Benny Parsons. The Chevrolet and GM Racing family are truly saddened at the loss of our beloved friend. "His incredible talent on the track attracted legions of fans to him as a driver while his charismatic smile and engaging personality endeared him to everyone as one of auto racing's most recognizable spokesmen. Our deepest sympathy is extended to his family and friends." EDSEL B. FORD II
Board member, Ford Motor Company
"Everyone involved in the Ford Racing program is saddened at Benny's passing. Besides being a talented driver, he was someone who was always very approachable and was quick with a smile and a great story. "Benny entertained millions of race fans in his television career, and his witty wisdom and insight helped grow the sport to the level it is today. We at Ford, and the sport of auto racing, lost a true friend [Tuesday]." JEFF BOERGER
President, Kansas Speedway
"Kansas Speedway was saddened to learn of the passing of 1973 NASCAR champion and broadcaster Benny Parsons. We've enjoyed hosting Benny at Kansas Speedway over the last few years. He greeted you with a smile and was always willing to tell a tale or two from his own racing days. Benny will be missed in the garage and by millions of fans. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Parsons family and friends during this time." ROGER CURTIS
President, Michigan International Speedway
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of such a great champion and a larger-than-life person. Benny Parsons personified everything that was good about racing. "He was a true ambassador for our sport with his words and his actions. From his days as a taxi driver in Detroit to his time as a racing champion and popular TV analyst, he exuded an infectious passion for racing that we will all miss." DOUG FRITZ
President, Richmond International Raceway
"Benny Parsons was approachable, friendly and was one of the best personalities this sport has ever known. He was universally liked by the fans, the drivers, the media and the promoters. "To me, that means more than the success he had on the racetrack as a champion and the increase in popularity he gained by working in TV and radio. 'Good guy' clearly defines Benny Parsons. I will miss him. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends." GRANT LYNCH
President, Talladega Superspeedway
"We at Talladega Superspeedway are saddened to have received news that Benny Parsons passed away [Tuesday] morning. He has made a remarkable impact on motorsports first as a driver, and then as an analyst. "What is most difficult to measure is the great impact he made upon those of us fortunate enough to count him as a friend. We will all miss him dearly. Our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with his family at this difficult time." STEVE PAGE
President and GM, Infineon Raceway
"Benny Parsons' personality and heart transcended his role as a sports figure. He was a wonderful human being and he warmed the lives of those lucky enough to know him. "We were all looking forward to Benny's return to the Infineon Raceway broadcast team this summer. Benny loved coming to Sonoma. He fit naturally into the local culture of good food and hospitality and he always gave generously of his time for community and charity functions during race week. "Like all of Benny's fans in Northern California, we will miss him terribly." ROBIN BRAIG
President, Daytona International Speedway
"As a former Daytona 500 winner, Benny Parsons was a special member of the Daytona International Speedway family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those who were touched by such a great icon of the sport. The entire DIS family will miss him dearly." | 
