- Parnelli Jones, winner of the 1963 Indianapolis 500, dies at age 90
- He was the first driver to qualify for the Indy 500 at speeds over 150 mph.
- He participated in seven Indy 500 races before retiring as an Indy Car driver in 1968.
Parnelli Jones, winner of the 1963 Indianapolis 500, has died at the age of 90.
Jones died Tuesday at Torrance Memorial Medical Center after a battle with Parkinson’s disease, his son said.
Jones, originally from Arkansas and raised in Southern California, became the first driver to qualify for the Indy 500 at speeds over 150 mph. He is also the only driver to lead the race twice over 400 miles or more, according to the IndyCar Series.
He participated in seven Indianapolis 500 races and led for 171 of the first 196 laps in 1967 before a ball bearing broke with three laps remaining.
Jones retired as an Indy car driver in 1968 at age 34, but was part owner of the team that won the Indy 500 in 1970 and 1971 with Al Unser at the wheel.
Parnelli Jones, winner of the 1963 Indianapolis 500, died Tuesday at age 90.
Jones smiles after winning the pole for the Yankee 300 race at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
“The racing world has lost a great competitor and a true champion,” read a statement from Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske.
‘Parnelli Jones was one of the most successful racers in history, and his determination and will to win made him one of the toughest competitors I have ever seen.
‘From competing against him on the track to competing against him as a teammate, I always respected Parnelli’s passion and commitment to the sport he loved.
“I am proud to call Parnelli a good friend for many years, and our thoughts are with his family as we remember one of motorsport’s true legends.”
Jones is thrown from his car after it caught fire in the pits during the Indy 500 race in May 1964.
Jones celebrates his Indy 500 victory in front of the Borg-Warner Trophy in 1963
Jones set a practice time of over 152 mph at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1963.
He also drove in other disciplines, including the NASCAR Cup circuit until 1970, winning four times. His last NASCAR victory came in the Motor Trend 500 at Riverside International Raceway on January 22, 1967.
His team, Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing, also branched out into Formula One, the Sports Car Club of America’s Formula 5000 road racing series, and the USAC Dirt Car series.
Still, it was his victory 61 years ago in Indianapolis that Jones said defined him.
“The thing about Indianapolis is that it gives you a title for all time, it opens doors for you forever,” Jones told Motorsport.com in 2016.
“I won a lot of races with other cars: sprint cars, midgets, stock cars, Baja 1000s, because that’s what a lot of us did in those days. But still, I’m presented as the winner of the ’63 Indy 500. That one It is the status that this place gives you.
