Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing
Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing, commonly referred to simply as Parnelli or VPJ, was a motor racing constructor and team from the United States. The team was formed in 1969 by former USAC racer Parnelli Jones and his business partner Velko "Vel" Miletich. Parnelli was initially solely concerned with USAC racing, where success came quickly; their driver Al Unser won the Indianapolis 500 race in 1970, driving a VPJ Colt, after leading 190 of the 200 racing laps. Unser went on to win the USAC championship. Unser repeated the Indy 500 win in 1971 with a new Colt built without the left side chassis offset that had been made illegal by 1971 rules, ending the season in fourth place in the USAC drivers points while teammate Joe Leonard won the championship.
| Full name | Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing |
|---|---|
| Founder(s) | Parnelli Jones Velko Miletich |
| Noted drivers | Mario Andretti Al Unser Joe Leonard |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| First entry | 1974 Canadian Grand Prix |
| Races entered | 16 |
| Engines | Cosworth |
| Constructors' Championships | 0 (best finish: 10th, 1975) |
| Drivers' Championships | 0 |
| Race victories | 0 (best finish: 4th, 1975 Swedish Grand Prix) |
| Points | 6 |
| Pole positions | 0 (best grid position: 3rd, 1974 United States Grand Prix) |
| Fastest laps | 1 |
| Final entry | 1976 United States Grand Prix West |