Parnelli Jones
Rufus Parnell "Parnelli" Jones (born August 12, 1933) is an American former professional racing driver and racing team owner. He is notable for his accomplishments while competing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Baja 1000 desert race, and the Trans-Am Championship series. In 1962, he became the first driver to qualify over 150 mph. He won the race in 1963, then famously broke down while leading the 1967 race with three laps to go in a turbine car. During his career as an owner, he won the Indy 500 in 1970–1971 with driver Al Unser.
| Rufus "Parnelli" Jones | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jones in 2015 | |||||||
| Born | Rufus Parnell Jones August 12, 1933 Texarkana, Arkansas, U.S. | ||||||
| Championship titles | |||||||
| USAC Midwest Sprint Car (1960) USAC Sprint Car (1961, 1962) USAC Stock Car (1964) Major victories Indianapolis 500 (1963) Baja 1000 (1971, 1972) | |||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 59 races run over 8 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 3rd (1962) | ||||||
| First race | 1960 Rex Mays Classic (Milwaukee) | ||||||
| Last race | 1967 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| First win | 1961 Bobby Ball Memorial (Phoenix) | ||||||
| Last win | 1965 Rex Mays Classic (Milwaukee) | ||||||
| |||||||
| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 34 races run over 12 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 33rd (1958) | ||||||
| First race | 1956 Race 24 (Merced) | ||||||
| Last race | 1970 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside) | ||||||
| First win | 1957 Race 36 (Bremerton) | ||||||
| Last win | 1967 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside) | ||||||
| |||||||
Jones won races in many types of vehicles: sports cars, IndyCars, sprint cars, midget cars, off-road vehicles, and stock cars.
Jones is the oldest living winner of the Indianapolis 500 and, following Paul Goldsmith and Mel Kenyon, is the third oldest living veteran of the race.