Racing Hero's

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Updated 7/27/20

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Parnelli Jones


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Parnelli on a stool


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Parnelli in his office


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Parnelli with a model of his stock car


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Parnelli driving


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Parnelli autographing


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# 27 F1 car


Parnelli and Chris Holt


Parnelli with Jay Agajanian


Parnelli at the Don Weaver Legends event


Parnelli with Heidi


Parnelli with Billy Wilkerson


Parnelli at the Don Weaver Legends at Perris with his wife


Parnelli with his wife


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Parnelli with Skip


Parnelli with Ken Hillberg and Mrs Wags as he was the 2005 Wagsdash Grand Marshal


Parnelli and Wags


Parnelli with Billy Wilkerson


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Parnelli with Leroy Sweeney


Parnelli and Al Unser


Parnelli and Al Unser


Parnelli with Brad Noffsinger


Parnelli and Rick Mears


Parnelli and Brent Kaeding


Parnelli with Jason Leffler


Parnelli with Mark Martin


Parnelli and JC


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Parnelli and Bobby Unser


Parnelli and Dan Gurney


Parnelli and AJ Foyt


Parnelli and Johnny Anderson


Parnelli with Hila Sweet


Parnelli and Jeff Gordon


Parnelli with Vickie James


Parnelli and Jim Clark


Parnelli and AJ


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Parnelli and AJ Foyt


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Parnelli with J C Agajanian


Parnelli's wife Judy getting interviewed


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Parnelli and his wife


Parnelli and Rco Abreu


Parnelli and longtime car owner J C Agajanian


Parnelli and Tanner Thorston


Parnelli and Steve Stroud


Parnelli and Bob East


Parnelli and Damion Gardner


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Parnelli posing with his famous # 98 car


Parnelli and J C Agajanian


Parnelli with a smile


Parnelli with Cindy Harris


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Parnelli interviewed


Parnelli with Paul Newman


Parnelli with Chris HOlt


Parnelli with JC Agajanian


Parnelli and Ken Hillberg


Parnelli with chris Holt


Parnelli with Don Weaver


Parnelli with Jimmy Oskie


Parnelli and Al Unser


Parnelli and Jimmy Oskie


Parnelli a while back


Parnelli and A J Foyt


Parnelli interviewed by Jim Naylor


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Parnelli with Tony Simon and Bob Hogle


Parnelli with Chris Holt


Parnelli with Tory and Wags


Parnelli with Ken Hillberg and Wags


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Parnelli and Bobby Unser


Parnelli with Don Edmunds and Hila Sweet


Parnelli and Dawnette Kischell


Parnelli and I don't know who


Parnelli with Lee Vodden


Parnelli and his boys


Parnelli and AJ Foyt


Parnelli and Jud Larson


Parnelli pouring Champagne


Parnelli with a clown


Parnelli autographing


Parnelli being interviewed at Indy


Parnelli and Barbara Thompson


Parnelli with Jim Naylor and Wags


Parnelli autographing books


Parnelli with Sylvester Stalone


Parnelli with Bobby Unser, Robin Miller and Johnny Rutherford


Parnelli with Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney and Robin Miller


Parnelli with Mario Andretti


Parnelli with Billy Wilkerson and Bubby Jones


Parnelli with Jimmy Oskie and Bob Hogle


Parnelli and his sons


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Parnelli and Al Unser and Mario


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Parnelli with Bobby Unser and Johnny Rutherford


Parnelli with Bruce Bromme Jr, Barbara Thompson and Ron Shaver


Parnelli with Bobby and Lisa Unser and Johnny and Betty Rutherford


Parnelli, as Wagsdash Grand Marshal, with Ventura main event winner Alan Ballard and his father Ernie


Parnelli with Wagsdash winner Blake Miller


Parnelli with Dario Franchetti and Rick Mears


Parnelli viviting in the pits


Parnelli and his boys Page and P J


Parnelli and a GTX girl


Parnelli with Linda Vaughn and George Tollmen


Parnelli with Ryan Devitt, Blake Miller and J Hicks the top three at Wagsdash 2005


Parnelli with The Wags and Grandson Tory Clarett


Parnelli with Cary and J C Jr Agajanian and Don Kazarian


Parnelli with his brother Paul's wife Joyce and and daughter and granddaughter


Parnelli and a group pic


Parnelli with Wagsdash winner Alan Ballard


Parnelli with the Borg Warner trophy


Parnelli and the BW Trophy


Parnelli with JC Agajanian and a trophy girl


Parnelli at Indy after winning


Parnelli with a little milk


Parnelli's museum


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Parnelli in his museum


Parnelli in his museum


# 1 in Parnelli's museum


# 98 also in Parnelli's museum


Parnelli with his off road racer


Parnelli with a sprinter


Parnelli with some fast cars


Parnelli in a museum


Parnelli and a Ford


Parnelli with an old ride


Parnelli and # 15


Parnelli with a 2012 Boss 302 Ford


Parnelli with another # 15


Parnelli with his ride


Parnelli escaping car in a famous photo


Parnelli with Don Weaver and Allan Heath


Parnelli and a midget ride


Parnelli and a sprint car


Parnelli in the seat


Parnelli in # 15


Parnelli in # 40


Parnelli in # 98


Parnelli in a Bromme car


Parnelli with Bobby Marshman and Roger Ward in their rides


Parnelli in his Bronco with Al Unser


Parnelli in his car


Parnelli ready to go


Parnelli in the seat


Parnelli interviewed with J C Agajanian on his right


Parnelli in his stock car


Parnelli ready to go


Parnelli and Linda Vaughn


The banner Jim Naylor made for Parnelli


Parnelli collage


Parnelli's logo


Parnelli's Grand Marshal banner


Parnelli wins pole news


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Parnelli logo


Parnelli card


Parnelli fan card


Parnelli with logo


Nice drawing


Parnelli decal


Parnelli car


Parnelli ad


Poster


Parnelli's racing shirt


Parnelli and his Fike Plumbing ride


Parnelli in the Fike Plumbing car


Parnelli in # 98


Parnelli in # 1


Parnelli in the Willard Champ dirt car

Some of Parnelli's race cars


Sprint car in Parnelli's museum at his office


Parnelli posing with Shane Scully and Bob East


# 98 midget


# 98


# 98


# 15 stock car


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# 15


# 15


# 115


# 98


# 98


# 98


# 27


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# 40 turbine


# 60


Bronco racer # 1


# 77 Bronco


Parnelli leading A J Foyt


Parnelli outside A J Foyt

Parnelli won 19 CRA victories before he took off to bigger things. He won two 100 lap sprint races. He won at every type of racing he tried. His battles with AJ Foyt were legendary. He was the 2005 Wagsdash Grand Marshal, which thrilled me and the Wagtimers.

Here's the Wikipedia report:

Rufus Parnell "Parnelli" Jones (born August 12, 1933) is an American former professional racing driver and racing team owner. He is notable for his accomplishments while competing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Baja 1000 desert race. In 1962, he became the first driver to qualify over 150 mph. He won the race in 1963, then famously broke down while leading the 1967 race with three laps to go in a turbine car. During his career as an owner, he won the Indy 500 in 1970–1971 with driver Al Unser, Sr.

Jones won races in many types of vehicles: sports cars, IndyCars, sprint cars, midget cars, off-road vehicles, and stock cars. He is also remembered for bringing the stock block engine to USAC Sprint car racing as one of the "Chevy Twins" with Jim Hurtubise. 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 and a championship in IMSA prototype sports cars. 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. Following the death of 1960 Indianapolis 500 winner Jim Rathmann, Jones is now the oldest living "500" winner.

Driving career

Born in Texarkana, Arkansas, Jones' family moved to Torrance, California, where he grew up (and lives in nearby Rolling Hills). 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. Jones participated in his first race in a Jalopy race at Carrell 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.

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. 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. Jones led early in the race and ran among the leaders until being hit in the face with a stone, bloodying his face, blurring his vision and slowing him to a 12th-place finish.

In 1962, he was the first driver to qualify over 150 mph at the Indianapolis 500, winning the pole position at a speed of 150.370 mph (241.997 km/h). Jones dominated the first two-thirds of the race until a brake line failure slowed him, and he settled for a seventh-place finish. Jones drives the car he drove in the Indianapolis 500 from 1961 through 1964 around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway track in 2012.

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. Before the race, the chief steward, Harlan Fengler, told the teams that he would black-flag any cars that leaked oil on the track, warning, "Don't believe me, just try me."

With Scotsman Jim Clark in a Lotus-Ford closing on Jones in the waning laps, Jones' car developed a horizontal crack 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 chief steward 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. As Agajanian pleaded with Fengler, Lotus head man Colin Chapman rushed up to join the conversation and demanded that Fengler follow the rules about disqualifying cars with oil leaks. With the end of the race just minutes away, Fengler took no action, and Jones went on to win. The Lotus-Ford team, while unhappy with the obvious favoritism displayed by race officials toward Jones and Agajanian, also acknowledged Jones' clear superiority in the event. In addition, Ford officials recognized that a victory through disqualification of Clark's biggest competitor would not be well received by the public, so they declined to protest.

Also that year, 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 seven 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 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. Jones's STP-Paxton Turbocar from the 1967 Indianapolis 500.

In 1967, he drove in the Indianapolis 500 for owner Andy Granatelli in the revolutionary STP-Paxton Turbocar. 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 for Bud Moore in the second-year Trans Am series. In April, Jones dueled with teammate, friend and rival Dan Gurney in a brutal 300-mile (480 km), 4-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 of 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 711-mile (1,144 km) 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. Jones would later have a guest appearance in the original film Gone in 60 Seconds featuring him and his Bronco which was stolen in the plot. Jones had become hooked on off-road racing.

In 1968, Jones headed a super-roster of seven drivers signed by Andy Granatelli to drive STP Lotus 56 turbine cars in an unprecedented single-team assault on the Indianapolis 500. The deaths of Jim Clark and Mike Spence, plus a serious injury to Jackie Stewart, whittled the entry to four. Jones, testing his reworked 1967 car in practice, was dissatisfied with the car's performance compared to the newer "wedge"-shaped Lotus 56 turbines, and had concluded the car was unsafe. He stepped out of the car, which was subsequently assigned to Joe Leonard, who promptly wrecked the car in practice. Jones retired from driving IndyCars, but later admitted, "If I hadn't already won Indy, they could never have kept me out of that car."

Jones entered the 1968 NORRA Mexican 1000 (now Baja 1000). Jones led until the 150-mile (240 km) 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 way, 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 a race car 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, including the 1967 Motor Trend 500 at Riverside, 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.

In 1993, Jones took part in the Fast Masters. He advanced to the final championship round and placed 6th overall.

Driving career summary

Jones retired with six IndyCar wins and twelve pole positions, four wins in 34 NASCAR starts, including the 1967 Motor Trend 500 at Riverside, 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.

In 1993, Jones took part in the Fast Masters. He advanced to the final championship round and placed 6th overall.

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 1970, 1971, and 1972 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.

Documentary

Jones starred in the one-hour documentary Behind the Indianapolis 500 with Parnelli Jones. Narrated by Bob Varsha, the film takes viewers behind the scenes of the Indianapolis 500, through the eyes and experiences of Parnelli Jones. In addition to Parnelli, Rick Mears, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, Al Unser, Jr., PJ Jones, Chip Ganassi, and others are interviewed throughout. The film was selected for the 2016 Sun Valley Film Festival, which Parnelli and Bob Varsha attended.

Career awards

Jones is inducted in over 20 Halls of Fame including:

the Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame (1976) the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame (1985) 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. In addition, Parnelli Jones has several wheel manufacturers companies since the beginning of the 70s, z.b. Rebel Wheel co, US Mags and American Racing Equipment.

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