Broadcaster, racer, Mr. Nice Guy. All are accurate descriptions of Benny Parsons. Born in Parsonsville, NC, Benny was often called The Former Taxicab Driver because growing up he fixed cabs at his father's shop in Detroit and periodically shook them down after he'd repaired them. Beginning in Michigan area short tracks, Parsons eventually became a two-time ARCA champion and parlayed some runs with L.G. DeWitt in 1970 into a run toward the 1973 NASCAR championship and 21 wins in all. The biggest was the 1975 Daytona 500, where he started 32nd and drafted with Richard Petty to the win. His other big win was the 1980 World 600 where he sweated out nearly seven hours of rain and wrecks and outfought Darrell Waltrip over the final 20 laps.
When his racing career ended he segued into broadcasting, a vocation he'd begun on a part-time basis in 1978 but accelerated in 1984. He became a fixture on ESPN and later NBC, known for his congenial nature as well as racing experience.
Less than a month after the passing of Bobby Hamilton, racing has lost another of its greats in Benny Parsons. Rest in peace, Benny.
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