Rufus Parnell "Parnelli" Jones (August 12, 1933 – June 4, 2024) was an American professional racing driver and racing team owner. He is notable for his accomplishments while competing in the
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
and the
Baja 1000
The Baja 1000 is an annual Mexican off-road motorsport race held on the Baja California Peninsula, with a course of up to about 850 or more miles. It is one of the most prestigious off-road races in the world, having attracted competitors from ...
desert race, and the
Trans-Am Championship series. In
1962
The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War.
Events January
* January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...
, he became the first driver to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 at over 150 mph (240 km/h). He won the race in
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...
, then famously broke down while leading the
1967 race with three laps to go in a
turbine car.
[Biography]
at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
The National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame is an American Hall of Fame and museum for midget cars. The Hall of Fame is located at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and can be accessed during weekly Sunday races during the summe ...
During his career as an owner, he won the Indy 500 in
1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
–
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
with driver
Al Unser.
Jones won races in many types of vehicles: sports cars,
Indy cars,
sprint cars,
midget cars
Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, is a class of racing cars. The cars are very small, with a very high power-to-weight ratio, and typically use four-cylinder engines. They originated in the United States in the 1930s and are raced on most ...
,
off-road vehicles
An off-road vehicle (ORV), also known as an off-highway vehicle (OHV), overland vehicle or adventure vehicle, is a type of transportation specifically engineered to navigate unpaved roads and surfaces. These include trails, forest roads, and o ...
, and
stock cars
Stock car racing is a form of Auto racing, automobile racing run on oval track racing, oval tracks and road courses. It originally used Production vehicle, production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifical ...
.
Driving career
Born in
Texarkana, Arkansas
Texarkana is a city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Miller County, on the southwest border of the state. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 29,387. It is the twin city of Texarkana, Texas, located just acros ...
, Jones' family moved to
Torrance, California
Torrance is a coastal city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city is part of what is known as the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay region of the metropolitan ...
, where he grew up (and lived in nearby
Rolling Hills). He was nicknamed Parnelli by his boyhood friend Billy Calder, who hoped that the Jones family would not discover their son was racing cars as a 17-year-old minor.
[Biography]
at the Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame Jones participated in his first race in a
Jalopy race at
Carrell Speedway in
Gardena, California
Gardena is a city located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 61,027 at the 2020 census, up from 58,829 at the 2010 census. Until 2014, the U.S. census cited the City of Gardena as the ...
.
He developed his racing skills by racing in many different classes in the 1950s, including 15
stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of Auto racing, automobile racing run on oval track racing, oval tracks and road courses. It originally used Production vehicle, production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifical ...
wins in the
NASCAR Pacific Coast Late Model Series.
[Biography]
at the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame, Retrieved November 8, 2007
His first major championship was the
Midwest
The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...
region
Sprint car title in 1960. The title caught the attention of
promoter J. C. Agajanian, who became his sponsor. He began racing at
Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
in 1961.
Jones was named the
1961 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, an honor that he shared with
Bobby Marshman. Jones led early in the race and ran among the leaders until being hit in the face with a stone, bloodying his face, blurring his vision and slowing him to a 12th-place finish.
In 1962, he was the first driver to qualify over 150 mph at the
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
, winning the pole position at a speed of . Jones dominated the first two-thirds of the race until a brake line failure slowed him, and he settled for a seventh-place finish.

In the 1963
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
, he started on the pole. This was the year the controversial
Lotus-
Ford rear-engined cars made their first appearance, and had ruffled the Indianapolis establishment. Before the race, the chief steward,
Harlan Fengler, told the teams that he would black-flag any cars that leaked oil on the track, warning, ''"Don't believe me, just try me."''
With Scotsman
Jim Clark
James Clark (4 March 1936 – 7 April 1968) was a British racing driver from Scotland, who competed in Formula One from to . Clark won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles with Lotus, and—at the time of his death—held the ...
in a Lotus-Ford closing on Jones in the waning laps, Jones' car developed a horizontal crack in the external oil reservoir. At that moment, driver
Eddie Sachs crashed on the oil-slickened racing surface and brought out a yellow caution flag, slowing the field. Agajanian, Jones' car owner, argued with chief steward Harlan Fengler not to issue a black flag, insisting the oil level had dropped below the level of the crack, and that the leak had stopped. As Agajanian pleaded with Fengler, Lotus head man
Colin Chapman rushed up to join the conversation and demanded that Fengler follow the rules about disqualifying cars with oil leaks. With the end of the race just minutes away, Fengler took no action, and Jones went on to win. The Lotus-Ford team, while unhappy with the obvious favoritism displayed by race officials toward Jones and Agajanian, also acknowledged Jones' clear superiority in the event. In addition, Ford officials recognized that a victory through disqualification of Clark's biggest competitor would not be well received by the public, so they declined to protest.
Also that year, legendary vehicle fabricator
Bill Stroppe built a
Mercury Marauder
The Mercury Marauder is an automobile nameplate that was used for three distinct full-size cars produced by the Mercury (automobile), Mercury division of Ford Motor Company. Deriving its name from the most powerful engines available to the Mercury ...
USAC Stock car for Jones. Jones won the 1963
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), also known as The Race to the Clouds, is an annual automobile Hillclimbing, hillclimb to the summit of Pikes Peak in the U.S. state of Colorado. The track measures and has over 156 tur ...
in the car, and broke the stock car speed record.
In 1964, he won seven races (and tied for a win) on his way to the
USAC Stock car crown. He won the
Turkey Night Grand Prix
The Automotive Racing Products Turkey Night Grand Prix is an annual race of midget cars. It is the third oldest race in the United States behind the Indianapolis 500 and the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. It has been held on Thanksgiving ni ...
midget car event.
Mercury decided to pull out of stock car racing after the season. The following year, Jones almost won Indy for a second time, finishing second behind Jim Clark.
He won five of the nine midget car events that he entered in 1966, including the
Turkey Night Grand Prix
The Automotive Racing Products Turkey Night Grand Prix is an annual race of midget cars. It is the third oldest race in the United States behind the Indianapolis 500 and the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. It has been held on Thanksgiving ni ...
. He finished fourteenth in the final points despite competing in only nine of 65 events.

In
1967
Events January
* January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair.
* January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...
, he drove in the
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
for owner
Andy Granatelli in the revolutionary
STP-Paxton Turbocar. Jones dominated the race but dropped out with three laps to go when a small, inexpensive transmission bearing broke. After 1968, turbine-powered cars were legislated out of competition.
Also in 1967, as part of his stock car contract with the
Lincoln-Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company, Jones drove a
Mercury Cougar
The Mercury Cougar is a series of automobiles that was sold by Mercury (automobile), Mercury from 1967 to 2002. The model line is a diverse series of vehicles; though the Cougar nameplate is most commonly associated with two-door coupes, at va ...
for Bud Moore in the second-year Trans Am series. In April, Jones dueled with teammate, friend and rival
Dan Gurney
Daniel Sexton Gurney (April 13, 1931 – January 14, 2018) was an American racing driver, engineer and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of motorspo ...
in a brutal , 4-hour event at
Green Valley, Texas
in 113-degree heat, losing by inches to Gurney.
Stroppe suggested that Jones try his hand at
off-road racing
Off-road racing is a form of motorsports consisting of specially-modified vehicles including cars, SUVs, trucks, motorbikes, quadbikes and buggies racing in off-road environments (e.g. snow, dirt, mud, etc.).
North America Desert racing
D ...
in front of a large crowd at a Christmas party in 1967. Jones at first said no, since he had enough of dirt. Stroppe suggested that maybe off-road racing was too hard for Jones, and the challenge started Jones' off-road career.
Jones and Stroppe teamed up for the
Star Dust 7/11 race across the
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
desert
A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one-third of the la ...
in early 1968. Jones had never driven or pre-run the
Ford Bronco
The Ford Bronco is a model line of SUV, SUVs manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company, Ford. The first SUV model developed by the company, five generations of the Bronco were sold from the 1966 to 1996 model years. A sixth generation of ...
. Jones hit a dry wash at full speed, which broke the wheels and blew out the front tires. Jones would later have a guest appearance in the original film ''
Gone in 60 Seconds'' featuring him and his Bronco which was stolen in the plot. Jones had become hooked on off-road racing.
In 1968, Jones headed a super-roster of seven drivers signed by Andy Granatelli to drive STP
Lotus 56
The Lotus 56 was a gas turbine-powered four-wheel-driven racing car, designed by Maurice Philippe as Team Lotus's STP-backed entry in the 1968 Indianapolis 500. All three cars entered and retired from the race with Joe Leonard's car expiring wh ...
turbine cars in an unprecedented single-team assault on the Indianapolis 500. The deaths of
Jim Clark
James Clark (4 March 1936 – 7 April 1968) was a British racing driver from Scotland, who competed in Formula One from to . Clark won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles with Lotus, and—at the time of his death—held the ...
and
Mike Spence, plus a serious injury to
Jackie Stewart
Sir John Young "Jackie" Stewart (born 11 June 1939) is a British former racing driver, sports broadcasting, broadcaster and motorsport executive from Scotland, who competed in Formula One from to . Nicknamed "the Flying Scottish people, Scot" ...
, whittled the entry to four. Jones, testing his reworked 1967 car in practice, was dissatisfied with the car's performance compared to the newer "wedge"-shaped Lotus 56 turbines, and had concluded the car was unsafe. He stepped out of the car, which was subsequently assigned to Joe Leonard, who promptly wrecked the car in practice. Jones retired from driving IndyCars, but later admitted, "If I hadn't already won Indy, they could never have kept me out of that car."
Jones entered the 1968
NORRA Mexican 1000 (now
Baja 1000
The Baja 1000 is an annual Mexican off-road motorsport race held on the Baja California Peninsula, with a course of up to about 850 or more miles. It is one of the most prestigious off-road races in the world, having attracted competitors from ...
). Jones led until the marker. The
Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame describes Jones' racing style: "Jones and Stroppe had to find a way to keep their vehicles in one piece. During races Jones would push the vehicles at maximum speeds until they gave way, with Stroppe telling him at top volume the entire time to take it easier on the vehicle."

Jones had a special car fabricated by Dick Russell via Bill Stroppe that looked like a Bronco, but had racing parts that could withstand rigorous jarring that off-road vehicles endure. Jones named the vehicle "Big Oly" after his sponsor
Olympia Beer.
Jones used the vehicle to lead the 1971 Mexican 1000 from start to finish in a new record time of 14 hours and 59 minutes. It was the first off-road racing victory by an Indy 500-winning driver. In Big Oly, Jones won back-to-back Mexican NORRA 1000s, a Mint 400, a Baja 500, along with other victories.

Capitalizing on his long history with Ford, Parnelli joined with
Bud Moore Engineering to race in the SCCA
Trans-Am Championship series. In 1967, to help with the vehicle launch, Jones raced a prepped 1967 Mercury Cougar. The car was not overly competitive, however Ford did win the Manufacturers Title. Jones did not race in 1968 season. Jones returned to Bud Moore and Trans-Am in 1969 to help with the debut of the
Boss 302 Mustang. Teamed with
George Follmer, Jones finished second in the Drivers Championship to Mark Donohue driving a 1969
Penkse prepared
Camaro. Both Moore and Jones agreed that the
Firestone tires were the reason they did not win the championship due to their short life compared to Goodyear, but due to Jones's Firestone sponsorship, they were required. In 1970, Moore, Jones, and Follmer returned to dominate the 1970 Trans-Am season.
Jones finished his racing career with major wins during the year 1973. He won his second Mexican 1000 in 16 hours and 42 minutes. He also won the 1973
Baja 500 and
Mint 400
The Mint 400 is an annual American desert off-road race which takes place near Las Vegas, Nevada. It was resumed in 2008 after a 20-year hiatus.
The race was for both motorcycles, until 1977, and four-wheel vehicles ( buggies, cars and trucks ...
off-road events. Jones had a major accident at
SCORE International
SCORE International (Southern California Off Road Enthusiasts) is an off-road racing sanctioning body in the sport of desert racing. Founded by Mickey Thompson in 1973, SCORE International was purchased from Sal Fish in late 2012. and is run ...
's 1974 Baja 500, and stepped away from full-time off-road racing to become a race car owner.
Driving career summary
Jones retired with six
IndyCar
IndyCar, LLC (stylized as INDYCAR), is an auto racing sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The organization sanctions two racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with the Indianapolis ...
wins and twelve pole positions, four wins in 34
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
starts, including the 1967 Motor Trend 500 at
Riverside, 25 midget car feature wins in occasional races between 1960 and 1967,
25 career
sprint car wins,
and seven Tran-Am wins and a Drivers Championship in 1970. His fifteen wins is eighth on the all-time in NASCAR Pacific Coast Late Model history.
In 1993, Jones took part in the
Fast Masters. He advanced to the final championship round and placed 6th overall.
Car owner

Jones started
Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing, which won the
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
again as an owner in 1970 and 1971 with driver
Al Unser driving the
Johnny Lightning special. The team also won the 1970, 1971, and 1972 USAC National Championships.
Jones owned the
Parnelli Formula One
Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...
race team from late 1974 to early 1976, although it achieved little success.
Jones returned to off-road racing as owner of
Walker Evans
Walker Evans (November 3, 1903 – April 10, 1975) was an American photographer and photojournalist best known for his work for the Resettlement Administration and the Farm Security Administration (FSA) documenting the effects of the Great ...
' 1976 SCORE truck, and Evans won the championship. They teamed up for the 1977 CORE Class 2 championship.
Jones owned vehicles that took class wins at the Baja 500 and Baja 1000. His USAC Dirt Car won two championships and the Triple Crown three times.
Documentary
Jones starred in the one-hour documentary ''Behind the Indianapolis 500 with Parnelli Jones''. Narrated by
Bob Varsha
Robert August Varsha (born April 21, 1951) is an American broadcast journalist who specializes in covering motorsports. He is best known for being the lap-by-lap commentator for Formula 1 and Champ Car, CART series races for ESPN, ABC Sports, and ...
, the film takes viewers behind the scenes of the Indianapolis 500, through the eyes and experiences of Parnelli Jones. In addition to Parnelli,
Rick Mears,
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...
,
Bobby Unser
Robert William Unser (February 20, 1934 – May 2, 2021) was an American automobile racer. At his induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994, he had the fourth most IndyCar Series wins at 35 (behind his brother Al Unser, Al, A ...
,
Al Unser Jr.,
P. J. Jones,
Chip Ganassi, and others are interviewed throughout. The film was selected for the 2016 Sun Valley Film Festival, which Parnelli and Bob Varsha attended.
Businessman
Jones owned and operated several successful businesses. He owned Parnelli Jones Inc., which operated 47 retail Parnelli Jones Tire Centers in four states. Parnelli Jones Enterprises was a chain of
Firestone Racing Tires in 14 Western United States. Parnelli Jones Wholesale was a reseller which sold and distributed shock absorbers, passenger car tires, and other automotive products to retail tire dealers.
In addition, Parnelli Jones has several wheel manufacturers companies since the beginning of the 70s, z.b. Rebel Wheel co, US Mags and American Racing Equipment.
Death
Jones died in
Torrance, California
Torrance is a coastal city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city is part of what is known as the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay region of the metropolitan ...
, on June 4, 2024, at the age of 90.
Awards and honors
*He was inducted into the
Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1978.
*He was inducted into the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 1985.
*He was inducted into the
International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990.
*He was inducted into the
National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
The National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame is an American Hall of Fame and museum for midget cars. The Hall of Fame is located at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and can be accessed during weekly Sunday races during the summe ...
in 1990.
*He was inducted into the
National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1991.
*He was inducted into the
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1992.
*He was inducted into the
West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame in 2002.
*He was inducted into the
USAC Hall of Fame in 2012.
*He was inducted into the
Trans-Am Series
The Trans-Am Series presented by Pirelli is a sports car racing series held in North America. Founded in 1966, it is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). Primarily based in the United States, the series competes on a variety of ...
Hall of Fame in 2025.
Complete USAC Championship Car results
Indianapolis 500 results
References
External links
*
VPJ Racing Collection WebsiteThe Greatest 33*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Parnelli
1933 births
2024 deaths
Formula One team owners
Sportspeople from Texarkana, Arkansas
Racing drivers from Arkansas
Indianapolis 500 drivers
Indianapolis 500 polesitters
Indianapolis 500 Rookies of the Year
Indianapolis 500 winners
International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductees
NASCAR drivers
Trans-Am Series drivers
National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees
Off-road racing drivers
Sportspeople from Torrance, California
IndyCar Series team owners
Racing drivers from California
USAC Stock Car drivers