Parnelli Jones (90), the man who won it all

On June 4^th, Rufus Parnell Jones passed away in Torrance, California, at age 90. Parnelli Jones was “the greatest driver of his era”, according to Mario Andretti. Jones was the first to break the 150 mph mark in qualifying in Indianapolis.

Jones tried sneaking his way onto the grid aged just 17 in Gardena, California, close to his Torrence home. Out of fear of being recognized, he changed his name on the entry form from Rufus Jones to ‘Parnellie’. Sometimes, that’s all it takes. The ‘e’ at the end got lost, the name stuck forever.

Rookie of the year

As Parnelli Jones climbed his way up the ladder through stock cars and sprint cars, he caught the eye of promotor J.C. Agajanian, who brought him to Indianapolis in 1961. Jones was named rookie of the year. He led early in the race, but got hit by a stone in the face. Jones went on to finish 12^th. One year later, he was the first to take the qualifying average over four timed laps over 150 mph.

Controversial win

1963 brought his only win in 7 starts in the Indy 500, and it was a highly controversial one at that. Jones was the fastest in his front-engined Watson-Offenhauser roadster, but towards the end of the race, an oil-leak developed. Agajanian, owner of Jones’ car, managed to convince officials to not blackflag Jones, arguing that the leak was under control. Eddie Sachs, who spun off on the oil, begged to differ. So did Jim Clark, who was chasing Jones in the mid-engined Lotus 29. The mid-engined revolution would be postponed.

Parnelli Jones came close to making Indy history in 1967 in the turbine-powered STP Paxton. He had a 52-second lead, three laps from the end, when a $6 bearing broke. He would be back in 1968, but would back out of driving a car he didn’t feel was safe.

Baja 1000

Jones was known as a hard charger, but as Mario Andretti testifies, that wasn’t all. “He had aggressiveness, but also a finesse that no one else possessed.” NASCAR, Sprint Cars, Trans-Am, Pikes Peak, SCCA,… Parnelli Jones was a winner wherever he went, and he was instrumental in building Ford’s image with the Boss 302 Mustang in Trans-Am. In 1970 and 1971, he won the Baja 1000 offroad rally in Mexico in a Ford Bronco.

Team owner

At the same time, Jones had become a team owner in the single-seater USAC series. His Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing would win the Indy 500 in 1970 and 1971, with Al Unser Sr behind the wheel of the Johnny Lightning Special. In 1974, Jones embarked on an adventure in Formula 1, with Mario Andretti as a driver. Fourth in the Swedish Grand Prix in 1975 would be the team’s best result.

Parnelli Jones would go on to lead several businesses as well. Roger Penske honoured Jones with: “He was one of the most accomplished racers in history. His determination and his will to win made him one of the toughest competitors I have ever seen.”