Remembering BP always ends in long, fun stories (cont'd)

I talked to Terri Parsons on the telephone Saturday night before Pocono. I just wanted to let her know I was thinking about her and the Big Guy as we were getting ready to get back on the air. Terri was just getting her voice back. She said she had lost it. I can hear Benny ready to deliver a line, but I would never use it!

Terri is doing terrific and more so than any of us she really misses Benny. She is working very hard getting their winery, Rendezvous Ridge Vineyard, up to speed and opening a museum for BP in Wilkes County. There is a blog at www.bennyparsons.com that helps her keep fans and friends up to date. I can tell you this, if you're in the area of Wilkes County, N.C., on Monday, July 16, keep the afternoon free. There could be a little museum opening on Highway 421 that will be, let me think, how should I put this? BIG!

I did so many things with Benny, it would be impossible to explain to you all the fun we had together. We played golf with our attorney Alden Webb several years in a row in Arizona in the days leading up to the Phoenix race. The first year Teresa and I had a Super Bowl party at our home in Charlotte, Benny came and we made him the "Commissioner." If you won the "quarterly" pool during the game you got the money and your picture taken with BP. I don't think any cared about the money. The Packers were in the Super Bowl that year so, going along with our theme, we naturally had a cheese head. You know, that big plastic slice of cheese you wear like a hat? People got their picture taken with Benny Parsons wearing a cheese-head. Priceless.

We did pre-race shows together. We worked charity fundraisers together. Benny was invited to play in the charity pro-am for the Chrysler Classic in Greensboro a few years ago. Charity and golf, all mixed in together, perfect for him. I jokingly said I would caddy for him. Be careful what you wish for. NBC sent him a golf bag and I was caddy for a day. It just so happens he got paired with PGA professional Fred Funk, who is one of the nicest guys you could ever hope to meet. And here is the amazing part; Fred told us that a number of years earlier, Benny had given him a ride around Lowe's Motor Speedway in a two-seater stock car. Benny remembered giving the rides but didn't realize one of his passengers was star-golfer-to-be Fred Funk.

Benny also gave actor James Woods a ride one time, to the NASCAR awards ceremony in New York in the snow. They shot a piece for the opening sequence. Then all of us sat with Woods while he and Benny swapped stories before the show.

BP used to charter a bus to take a group of us from Charlotte up into the mountains so we could play in his charity golf tournament. A bus, a big comfortable bus. Yes, it had a cooler. Charity and golf. And a cooler. Perfect.

He introduced me to Oysters Rockefeller.

"Come on Weber, you wimp, just try it," he said.

How could you refuse that kind of encouragement?

We did the old Winter Heat series with our old buddy Bob Jenkins. Man, did we have fun. Fun and racing. Perfect.

Perhaps this is the best story that tells you what kind of a guy Benny is. Sorry, I mean was. At Winter Heat, a six-race series in Tucson in December and January, Benny watched Greg Biffle compete. Now many of you know the story, but the following spring when Jack Roush mentioned to BP he was looking for a driver to fill a seat, Benny said he would keep his eyes open and walked away. He stopped, turned around and told Jack he really should take a look at this kid he saw at Winter Heat, named Greg Biffle.

The rest, as the cliche goes, is racing history.

One more story. And, yes, it is about me! A year ago Benny asked me to play in the member-guest golf tournament at his club in Daytona Beach. Man, was I thrilled! Well, we played the practice round on Wednesday, but on Thursday, the first day of the tournament, it rained. OK, it poured. Still, being the optimistic-type, ol' BP called the pro shop to see if the opening round was still on. The guy at the shop just laughed. No, Benny. No golf today.

I told BP and Terri a friend of mine, Harry Allen, owns Daytona Magic and I was thinking about going over to visit. Benny said he wanted to come along. Harry was in the shop that day and the show was awesome. Harry had Benny and me, amazed. And Benny was laughing the whole time. I won't tell you how much I spent that day, but I did buy a couple of tricks for Benny. "BP THE MAGNIFICENT." Hey, it could have happened, especially with those big hands.

As for the tournament, well, we each won a golf bag. OK, everybody got a golf bag. But not everyone got a golf ball autographed by Benny Parsons. The one I got sits on the desk in my office. And, to me, that is big.

Benny won at Michigan on June 15, 1980, Father's Day. It was his only win in his adopted "home" state.

Thanks for taking the time to let me salute my wonderful friend. And as Benny would always say:

"Have a large day."

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.