TV’s Parsons More Than Just Man With Mike

The colorful and loquacious Benny Parsons has become such so synonymous with TV commentary that some people actually have forgotten his great career as a driver.

Parsons, who has been elected, along with car owner Raymond Parks, to the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame, raced on NASCAR’s tracks for 25 years. He won 21 races, including the 1975 Daytona 500.

He competed in 526 races with 199 top-five finishes, 20 poles and $3,026,629 in winnings before retiring after the 1988 season.

Parsons’ best season came in 1973 when he won the Winston Cup title with a dramatic finish in the finale at Rockingham, N.C.

The points system was different back then, awarding 100 points to the winner and one-half point for each lap completed. It was nearly impossible to figure out where Parsons, who held a 194.35-point lead over Richard Petty, had to finish to assure himself of the coveted title.

Parsons, whose only win that season came at Bristol, Tenn., qualified fifth and was determined to drive a conservative race to ensure a high finish and the title.

But disaster struck on the 12th lap when Johnny Barnes spun in turn one, collecting Parsons and virtually ripping off the right side of his Chevrolet. The accident tore away parts of the roll cage and the rear end assembly from under Parsons’ car.

“The engine died, but I cranked it back up,” Parsons said. “I put it in gear but it wouldn’t move. Then I looked to the right and found out nothing was there. I thought it was over.”

Travis Carter, his crew chief, pulled off a near miracle, with help from other teams. The car was back on the track 136 laps later and completed 308 laps on the 1.017-mile oval. That was good enough to win the championship.

“Those guys fixing that car was the most awesome thing I’d ever seen,” Parsons said. “I remember coming back on the track and the fans jumping up to their feet as I went down each straightaway. I think that was the first fan ‘wave’ in sports.”

Crash test

Dale Earnhardt has figured out many ways to go fast, and has a record-tying seven Winston Cup titles to offer as proof.

Now, apparently, he has found a new way. All you do is have an accident that pushes in the nose of the car. Although he can’t claim that was part of his strategy last Sunday at Loudon, N.H., Earnhardt said afterward that it certainly worked out well.

“I honestly think that helped out car,” he said of a mishap of New Hampshire International Speedway. “It helped push the front end down. It shut off the grill and made the front end more aerodynamic. It made the car turn better.”

Sadly for Earnhardt, unrelated mechanical problems relegated him to a 22nd-place finish and dropped him from second to third in the series standings, trailing leader Jeff Gordon by 52 points and runner-up Sterling Marlin by 12.