12/22/24
January 16, 2007
Benny Parsons dies from Lung Cancer: What a shock. A Great Driver, Announcer but also One Heck of Guy.
posted by texasred to auto racing at 11:37 AM - 9 comments
i knew he was in the hospital but didnt know how bad he really was. I had a partial lung removed on Nov. 2005. and things are going well for me. Was hoping he could beat this.
posted by texasred at 12:11 PM on January 16, 2007
A real shame. Benny was a consummate professional, a giant in the sport, and an all-around nice guy. He leaves a huge hole in NASCAR, because he was one of the sport's few old-time greats who had really (publicly, anyway) embraced the newer, shinier, more family-friendly Nextel Cup. People in NASCAR knew that Benny loved the ol' "Floorboards on Fire" style of stock car racing, but he was too much of a pro to let the fans know. He supported his sport in the face of change, and did everything in his power to make it the most exciting game in town for the fans. It's hard to really put into words what this will do to the NASCAR family. I'll miss him terribly.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 02:31 PM on January 16, 2007
Well said TBH. RIP Benny.
posted by ampto11 at 02:53 PM on January 16, 2007
Benny was old school, and twice as tough as anything resembling a current racer. so long taxi man.
posted by scotsman at 05:05 PM on January 16, 2007
I have long held that the best NASCAR racing was missed by most NASCAR fans. I started following racing in the mid 60's, and what a wild time it was. The 60', 70's and 80's were ball's out without all the rules and constraints of today. BP was not only a part of that racing, but a leader. Very few of today's drivers could keep up with him in his prime. BP, you will be missed.
posted by CB900 at 09:51 AM on January 17, 2007
See ya BP. I'll miss you.
posted by Ironhead at 11:01 AM on January 17, 2007
Another of the great men of any sport moves on to a better place. He will be missed by all. RIP BP.
posted by brbcca at 03:24 PM on January 17, 2007
BP was the Keith Jackson of Nascar. The homespun style and grandfatherly folksyness made him a legend. It is a great loss and reminds me that more and more we are losing these great commentators and they are being replaced by loudmouths or the geek squad!
posted by bluekarma at 05:53 PM on January 17, 2007
I don't know if I would say it was a shock. I figured it was just a matter of time when he went into the hospital in December. He was a nice man. My prayers go out to his family. Rest In Peace, Benny.