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Benny Parsons Update - 01/16/2007

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Garage Remembers ‘BP’
Former champion Benny Parsons, who died Tuesday following a lengthy battle with cancer, was on the minds of many attending preseason test sessions at Daytona. The 1973 series champion – who also won the Daytona 500 in 1975 – became a popular and respected television announcer in later years. He is remembered for his love of the sport and his upbeat, approachable personality. Below are some reactions: Robert Yates, owner, Robert Yates Racing – “He was a big encourager. I always felt better after he left than when he came up to me. So I always looked forward to Benny coming up and he did a lot of this last year for me, and the last few years, and the down years especially. He’d come pat you on the back when you’re running good, too.” Ken Schrader (No. 21 Little Debbie Ford) – “If you talked to people in the garage area, he was one of the good guys. And he made a good transition to doing the TV broadcasting. He’s just going to be missed.” Ricky Rudd (No. 88 Snickers Toyota) – I don’t know of anybody that didn’t like Benny Parsons. He was a great guy, a great competitor. Benny always had the knack of looking like things didn’t really get to him too much. I think things bothered him like everyone else, but he always had a cool way of not showing it. Michael Waltrip (No. 55 NAPA Toyota), who called Parsons, “a guy that looked at the human side of things,” cited his team’s efforts to boost the family’s spirit. On Monday, a slogan painted on the gray body of one of Waltrip’s cars sent Parsons a personal get-well message during each testing run. “We want to get everyone in the whole garage area to sign it – crew guys, media, everyone to sign it,” Waltrip said Tuesday afternoon. “Take a nice picture of it, and give it to (Parson’s wife) Terri to show her one little part of the racing world down in Daytona for a testing session loved Benny and appreciated what he stood for.” Source: NASCAR Public Relations

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Garage Remembers ‘BP’

Former champion Benny Parsons, who died Tuesday following a lengthy battle with cancer, was on the minds of many attending preseason test sessions at Daytona. The 1973 series champion – who also won the Daytona 500 in 1975 – became a popular and respected television announcer in later years. He is remembered for his love of the sport and his upbeat, approachable personality. Below are some reactions:

Robert Yates, owner, Robert Yates Racing – “He was a big encourager. I always felt better after he left than when he came up to me. So I always looked forward to Benny coming up and he did a lot of this last year for me, and the last few years, and the down years especially. He’d come pat you on the back when you’re running good, too.”

Ken Schrader (No. 21 Little Debbie Ford) – “If you talked to people in the garage area, he was one of the good guys. And he made a good transition to doing the TV broadcasting. He’s just going to be missed.”

Ricky Rudd (No. 88 Snickers Toyota) – I don’t know of anybody that didn’t like Benny Parsons. He was a great guy, a great competitor. Benny always had the knack of looking like things didn’t really get to him too much. I think things bothered him like everyone else, but he always had a cool way of not showing it.

Michael Waltrip (No. 55 NAPA Toyota), who called Parsons, “a guy that looked at the human side of things,” cited his team’s efforts to boost the family’s spirit. On Monday, a slogan painted on the gray body of one of Waltrip’s cars sent Parsons a personal get-well message during each testing run.

“We want to get everyone in the whole garage area to sign it – crew guys, media, everyone to sign it,” Waltrip said Tuesday afternoon. “Take a nice picture of it, and give it to (Parson’s wife) Terri to show her one little part of the racing world down in Daytona for a testing session loved Benny and appreciated what he stood for.”

Source: NASCAR Public Relations

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