Parnelli Jones died of natural causes on Monday at the age of 90 at Torrance Memorial Medical Center in Torrence, California, his hometown. The winner of the 1963 Indianapolis 500 was one of the most vital American racing drivers of the 1960s. Jones was arguably the fastest driver in an era of unprecedented change, when the roadsters of the 1950s were hijacked by rear-engine machines and Turbine powered monsters.
Jones arrived for the first time Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1961, winning honors in sprint car races and the latest production car models. After finishing 12th, he shared the Rookie of the Year honors with Bobby Marshman. The following year, he became the first qualifier to break the 250 mph barrier.
In the 1963 Indy 500, Jones earned a place alongside speedway legends. He stopped himself Jim Clark The rear-engined Lotus 29 won the race. However, the ending of the event remains controversial. Jones’ Watson roadster was leaking fuel during the closing laps, and race officials considered a black flag, which would have forced Jones to relinquish the lead. After a heated argument between team owner J.C. Agajanian and officials, the flag was never shown and Jones won.
Jones had the chance to get behind the wheel of the pioneering machine in 1967. He was offered the chance to race Andy Granatelli’s STP-Paxton Turbocar. The four-wheel-drive Indy Special was powered by a 550-horsepower aircraft turbine. Despite being 400 pounds overweight and having a three-second throttle delay, he was the clear favorite to win. According to Speed sportJones said:
“So I decided I was going to do what Jim Hurtubise did in the 1963 race. He fell back at the start, then went to the outside and passed half a dozen cars, including me, and took the lead on the first lap. So when Gordy dived, I stayed high and missed everyone. Mario [Andretti] he gave me the finger as I waved as I walked past him.
With only four laps left, the Turbocar’s $6 gearbox bearing failed. Jones led 171 laps in the 200-lap classic. He will never compete in the Indy 500 again. While Jones will continue to race in other categories and become an even more successful team owner, he will remain inextricably linked to his seven-year tenure as a driver in Indianapolis.
