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1.16.2007

Goodbye Benny

Only a week after the passing of Bobby Hamilton (more on him in a moment), Nascar lost another of its legends in Benny Parsons, who died today. Like John Madden, Benny will probably be remembered more as a TV commentator as the years pass, but he was no ordinary driver. After winning two ARCA championships (remember--before that he was a cabbie), he moved back down south to take on the then-Grand National series. He wound up winning the 1973 championship, a win notable for two reasons. One, he won only one race all season (predating the consistent runs of Matt Kenseth and Terry Labonte). Two, when his title hopes seemed to go out with an early wreck at Rockingham, members of OTHER TEAMS stepped in to help him get his car back on the track. That kind of thing doesn't just happen--you have to show dignity, humility, and class to earn it.
Oh, and like Bobby Hamilton, Benny has a connection to Days of Thunder. Remember the scene where Cole Trickle can't pit because his crew is eating ice cream? Well, its based on a similar incident that happened to BP in 1987. You get the idea that when he found this out, only two familiar words were spoken over the radio:
"Wow"
"UNbelievable".

We'll miss you Benny.

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