Parnelli Jones

Infobox NASCAR driver
Name = Rufus "Parnelli" Jones
Birthdate = birth date and age|1933|8|12
Birthplace = flagicon|USA Texarkana, Arkansas
Best_Cup_Pos = 33rd - 1958 (Grand National)
Cup_Wins = 4
Cup_Top_Tens = 11
Cup_Poles = 3
First_Cup_Race = 1956 Merced Fairgrounds
First_Cup_Win = 1957 Kitsap County Airport (Bremerton)
Last_Cup_Win = 1967 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside)
Last_Cup_Race = 1970 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside)
Awards = 1990 International Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee

1991 inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame

1992 inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America

1961 Indianapolis 500 co-Rookie of the Year

1963 Indianapolis 500 winner

1964 USAC stock car champion1960, 1961, 1962 USAC Sprint Car Series Champion

1976 inductee in the Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame

2001 inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame

inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
Years_In_Cup = 12
Total_Cup_Races = 34

Rufus Parnell "Parnelli" Jones (born August 12, 1933 in Texarkana, Arkansas), is a retired American racing driver and racecar owner. He is most remembered for his 1963 Indianapolis 500 win, and almost winning the 1967 Indy 500 in a turbine car. [http://www.worthyofhonor.com/Inductees/Parnelli_Jones.htm Biography] at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame] He is also remembered for bringing the stock block engine to USAC Sprint car racing as one of the "Chevy Twins" with Jim Hurtubise.

In his career, Parnelli Jones won races in many types of vehicles: sports cars, IndyCars, sprint cars, midget cars, off-road vehicles, and stock cars. He is associated with the famous Boss 302 Mustang with his wins using the engine in the 1970s. Jones' son P. J. Jones was also a diverse driver, with IndyCar and NASCAR starts. His other son Page Jones was an up-and-coming driver before suffering career ending (and life-threatening) injuries in a sprint car at the 4-Crown Nationals, and has been in rehabilitation, working with his father-in-law.

Driving career

Jones' family moved to Torrance, California, where he grew up (and still lives). He was nicknamed Parnelli by his boyhood friend Billy Calder, who hoped that the Jones family would not discover their son was racing cars as a 17 year old minor. [http://offroadmotorsportshalloffame.com/inductees.fx?id=10 Biography] at the Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame] Jones participated in his first race in a Jalopy race at Carroll Speedway in Gardena, California. He developed his racing skills by racing in many different classes in the 1950s, including 15 stock car racing wins in the NASCAR Pacific Coast Late Model Series. [http://www.stockcarreunion.com/inductees.html Biography] at the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame, Retrieved November 8 2007]

His first major championship was the Midwest region Sprint car title in 1960. The title caught the attention of promoter J. C. Agajanian, who became his sponsor. [ [http://www.motorsportshalloffame.com/halloffame/1990/Parnelli_Jones_main.htm Biography] at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame] He began racing at Indianapolis in 1961.

Jones was named the 1961 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, an honor that he shared with Bobby Marshman.

In 1962, he was the first driver to qualify over 150 mph at the Indianapolis 500, winning the pole position at a speed of convert|150.370|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on.

In the 1963 Indianapolis 500, he started on the pole. This was the year the controversial Lotus-Ford rear-engined cars made their first appearance, and had ruffled the Indianapolis establishment. With Scotsman Jim Clark in a Lotus-Ford closing on Jones in the waning laps, Jones' car developed a horizontal leak in the external oil reservoir. At that moment, driver Eddie Sachs crashed on the oil-slickened racing surface and brought out a yellow caution flag, slowing the field. Agajanian, Jones' car owner, argued with starter Harlan Fengler not to issue a black flag, insisting the oil level had dropped below the level of the crack, and that the leak had stopped. Jones went on to win, and the Lotus-Ford team, acknowledging Jones' clear superiority in the event, declined to protest despite some hard feelings. Legendary vehicle fabricator Bill Stroppe built a Mercury Marauder USAC Stock car for Jones. Jones won the 1963 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in the car, and broke the stock car speed record.

In 1964 he won 7 races (and tied for a win) on his way to the USAC Stock car crown. He won the Turkey Night Grand Prix midget car event. Mercury (car) decided to pull out of stock car racing after the season.

He won five of the nine midget car events that he entered in 1966, including the Turkey Night Grand Prix. He finished fourteenth in the final points despite competing in only nine of 65 events.

In 1967, he drove in the Indianapolis 500 for owner Andy Granatelli in the revolutionary Pratt & Whitney Turbine. Jones dominated the race but dropped out with three laps to go when a small, inexpensive transmission bearing broke. After 1968, turbine-powered cars were legislated out of competitiveness.

Also in 1967, as part of his stock car contract with the Lincoln-Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company, Jones drove a Mercury Cougar in the then-new Trans Am series. In April, Jones dueled with teammate, friend and rival Dan Gurney in a brutal, 4 1/2-hour event at Green Valley, Texas in 113-degree heat, losing by inches to Gurney.

Stroppe suggested that Jones try his hand at off-road racing in front of a large crowd at a Christmas party in 1967. Jones at first said no, since he had enough dirt. Stroppe suggested that maybe off-road racing was too hard for Jones, and the challenge started Jones' off-road career. Jones and Stroppe teamed up for the convert|711|mi|km|sing=on Star Dust 7/11 race across the Nevada desert in early 1968. Jones had never driven or pre-run the Ford Bronco. Jones hit a dry wash at full speed, which broke the wheels and blew out the front tires. Later Jones would have a guest appearance in the original Gone in 60 Seconds featuring him and his Bronco which was stolen in the movie. Jones had become hooked on off-road racing. Jones subsequently retired from driving IndyCars.

Jones entered the 1968 NORRA Mexican 1000 (now Baja 1000). Jones led until the convert|150|mi|km|sing=on marker. The Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame describes Jones' racing style: "Jones and Stroppe had to find a way to keep their vehicles in one piece. During races Jones would push the vehicles at maximum speeds until they gave away, with Stroppe telling him at top volume the entire time to take it easier on the vehicle."

Jones had a special car fabricated that looked like a Bronco, but had racing parts that could withstand rigorous jarring that off-road vehicles endure. Jones named the vehicle "Big Oly" after his sponsor Olympia Beer. Jones used the vehicle to lead the Mexican 1000 from start to finish in a new record time of 14 hours and 59 minutes.

Jones had major wins in the 1973 season. He won his second Mexican 1000 in 16 hours and 42 minutes. He also won the 1973 Baja 500 and Mint 400 off-road events. Jones had a major accident at SCORE International's 1974 Baja 500, and stepped away from full-time off-road racing to become an owner.

Jones raced SCCA Trans Am sedans owned by Bud Moore: Mercury Cougar (1967) and Ford Mustang (1969--1971). Parnelli's dominance of the extremely competitive 1970 season brought Ford the manufacturer's championship.

Driving career summary

Jones retired with six IndyCar wins and twelve pole positions, four wins in 34 NASCAR starts [ [http://www.racing-reference.com/driver?id=jonespa01 NASCAR stats at racing-reference.com] ] , 25 midget car feature wins in occasional races between 1960 and 1967 , and 25 career sprint car wins . His fifteen wins is eighth on the all-time in NASCAR Pacific Coast Late Model history.

Car owner

Jones started Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing, which won the Indianapolis 500 again as an owner in 1970 and 1971 with driver Al Unser driving the Johnny Lightning special. The team also won the 1971, 1972, and 1973 USAC National Championships.

Jones owned the Parnelli Formula One race team from late 1974 to early 1976, although it achieved little success.

Jones returned to off-road racing as owner of Walker Evans' 1976 SCORE truck, and Evans won the championship. They teamed up for the 1977 CORE Class 2 championship.

Jones owned vehicles that took class wins at the Baja 500 and Baja 1000. His USAC Dirt Car won two championships and the Triple Crown three times.

Career awards

Jones is inducted in over 20 Halls of Fame including:
*the Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame (1976)
*the International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1990)
*the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1990)
*the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (1991)
*the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1992)
*the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame (2002)

Businessman

Jones owned and operated several successful businesses. He owned Parnelli Jones Inc., which operated 47 retail Parnelli Jones Tire Centers in four states. Parnelli Jones Enterprises was a chain of Firestone Racing Tires in 14 Western United States. Parnelli Jones Wholesale was a reseller which sold and distributed shock absorbers, passenger car tires, and other automotive products to retail tire dealers.

2007 Ford Mustang Limited Edition

Saleen, Incorporated, in Irvine, California, produced a limited edition (500 unit) 2007 Saleen S302 PJ commemorating Parnelli's 1970 SCCA Ford Mustang Boss 302 racer. This limited-production mustang comes with a stroked out version of the stock Mustang GT 281 c.i. engine. With the new displacement reaching 302 c.i. the new engine power rating is convert|400|hp|abbr=on and 390lb/ft of torque. Other special performance enhancements to this car include a special Watts-Link suspension unique to the 1970 Boss Mustang used by Parnelli Jones.

Indy 500 results

References