Parnelli Jones

Rufus "Parnelli" Jones

Jones at the 2015 Indianapolis 500

Born

August 12, 1933 (age 83)
Texarkana, Arkansas

Awards

1990 International Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee
1991 inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame
1992 inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
1961 Indianapolis 500 co-Rookie of the Year
1963 Indianapolis 500 winner
1964 USAC stock car champion
1960, 1961, 1962 USAC Sprint Car Series Champion
1976 inductee in the Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame
2001 inducted into the
inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career

34 races run over 12 years

Best finish

33rd - 1958 (Grand National)

First race

1956 Merced Fairgrounds

Last race

1970 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside)

First win

1957 Kitsap County Airport (Bremerton)

Last win

1967 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside)

Wins	Top tens	Poles
4	11	3

Rufus Parnell "Parnelli" Jones (born August 12, 1933 in Texarkana, Arkansas), is a retired American racing driver and race car owner. He is most remembered for his accomplishments at the Indianapolis 500. 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, Sr.

Jones won races in many types of vehicles: sports cars, IndyCars, sprint cars, midget cars, off-road vehicles, and . He is also remembered for bringing the stock block engine to USAC Sprint car racing as one of the "Chevy Twins" with Jim Hurtubise. 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 and a championship in IMSA prototype sports cars. 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. Following the death of 1960 Indianapolis 500 winner Jim Rathmann, Jones is now the oldest living "500" winner.

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