Benny Parsons: NASCAR Champion and Broadcaster Dies at 65

Benny Parsons was an American stock car driver and broadcaster. Born on July 12, 1941, in Wilkes County, North Carolina, he moved to Detroit, where he drove a taxi before racing full time.

Parsons won the 1973 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship and the 1975 Daytona 500. He also won ARCA championships in 1968 and 1969. In 1982 he became the first driver to qualify over 200 miles per hour at Talladega. After retiring, he became a popular television and radio analyst nicknamed the Professor.

He is the older brother of racer Phil Parsons. Parsons was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2006 and died of complications on January 16, 2007, in Charlotte, North Carolina, at age 65. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2017.

Achievements: 1973 Cup champion, 1975 Daytona 500 winner, NASCAR Hall of Fame (2017).

Birth: July 12, 1941 - Wilkes County, North Carolina.

Profession: Race car driver and broadcaster.

Interesting Facts: He was known as the Professor in the broadcast booth.