Rufus Parnell "Parnelli" Jones

[Ron Hill]

I made a couple of props for Parnelli back in the days he had a Schiada, and had a place at Parker...

I picked up the newspaper this morning and it said, "Autograph session with Grand Marshall Parnelli Jones" Sunday, April 27, 2008 at Cal State Fullerton....I'm going with my camera, and autograph book...Some of my best memories of racing was A.J. Foyt and Parnelli Jones.....running Midget (Not politically correct) at Ascot...going with Ted May, my brother and the Edmissions...back when Sammy Tanner was "THE FLYING FLEA" of motorcycle flat track racing....

Parnelli would stop by my prop booth at the LA SHOW, on Wednesday, and if no one was around we'd talk...

Parnelli was the first INDY winner to ever really get rich ($$$) from winning Indy...He bought or developed a chain of Parnelli Jones Firestone tire stores....kind of a Walmart of the day for tires.....

As a kid, I remember Dick Lane announcing from Ascot Park, in the mud....Jaloby Derby...Later Dick Lane announced Speedboat Redeo....

Rufus Parnell "Parnelli" Jones (born August 12, 1933 in Texarkana, Arkansas), is a retired American racing driver and racecar owner. He is most remembered for his 1963 Indianapolis 500 win, and almost winning the 1967 Indy 500 in a turbine car. ^[1] He is also remembered for bringing the stock block engine to USAC Sprint car racing as one of the "Chevy Twins" with Jim Hurtubise. ^[1]
In his career, Parnelli Jones won races in many types of vehicles: sports cars, IndyCars, sprint cars, midget cars, off-road vehicles, and stock cars. He is associated with the famous Boss 302 Mustang with his wins using the engine in the 1970s. Jones' son P. J. Jones was also a diverse driver, with IndyCar and NASCAR starts. His other son Page Jones was an up-and-coming driver before suffering career ending (and life-threatening) injuries in a sprint car at the 4-Crown Nationals, and has been in rehabilitation, working with his father-in-law.

Clipping is from today, April 25, 2008, Orange Count Register Newspaper...