Benny Parsons, the 1973 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup (then Winston Cup) champion, died Tuesday morning in a Charlotte hospital after a battle with cancer and its effects.
But the affect Benny had on Bristol Motor Speedway and several of its employees will be longer lasting.
On the track, Benny and Bristol Motor Speedway forever will be linked. Only July 8, 1973, Benny picked up his only win of the season, with a little help from relief driver --- local boy John A. Utsman of Bluff City, Tenn. Long known for his prowess on the speedways, the win in Bristol helped propel Benny to the Series title --- then sponsored by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., and its marketing arm, which included a young Jeff Byrd, now president and general manager of BMS.
"I knew Benny for a long time," Byrd said. "We were friends, and it's tough to lose a friend. As our careers changed, the camaraderie was still there. It's hard to explain, but in this sport, there's a connection, a bond, between people who have invested a lot of years in the industry. I enjoyed that bond with Benny, and I will miss him. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Terri and his family."
In a 21-year-career that spanned 526 races, Benny finished in the top 10 in more than half of them --- 283. At Bristol, his record was even more remarkable. In 27 starts at BMS, Benny posted 18 top-five and 20 top-10 (74.1%) finishes to go along with his 1973 win. Of a possible 13,200 laps run on the high banks, he completed 11,215.
"He asked me to do something that was the biggest thrill of my life, driving at home and helping him win the race," Utsman remembered. "That probably helped lead Benny to the biggest thrill in his life (winning the championship). I could have messed it up for him and luckily I didn't. He was a great guy. It's a shame there aren't more like him."
Wayne Estes, Bristol Motor Speedway's Vice President of Events, had a long history with Benny. When Estes first arrived in Savannah, Ga., as a sportswriter for the Morning News, there was one local team competing on the NASCAR Winston Cup tour. It was owned by M.C. Anderson and the driver was Benny Parsons.
"That wasn't the first time I met him," Estes said. "The first time was in Richmond, Va. In 1975, one week after Benny won the Daytona 500, my high school class was heading to Wilmington, Del., on a school trip and we stopped at a truck stop near Richmond for breakfast. I had on some kind of racing t-shirt and as I was walking in, a guy coming out said 'You like racin?' I told him yes and he said, 'Daytona 500 champ sittin' in there eatin' breakfast.' I walked in and there was Benny Parsons. The tour was racing in Richmond that weekend and sure enough, there he was eating breakfast."
So Estes went up to speak to Benny. Little did either know that years later they would spend time on the road together from Charlotte to Tahoe.
Many of NASCAR's newer fans actually may have been more familiar with Benny's broadcasting career with ESPN and NBS than they were with his driving career. It's safe to say that when he was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998 as part of the sport's 50th Anniversary celebration, 10 years removed from driving his last race, some newer fans weren't aware of his accomplishments on the track.
Ironically, it was in the late 1980s when his driving career was winding down that BMS VP of Public Affairs Kevin Triplett, then a young sportswriter, first met Benny.
"It was at a charity golf tournament and he had been driving part time for about three or four years, doing a little broadcasting when he wasn't racing," Triplett said. "I asked him where his career was headed, back to the driver's seat or the broadcast booth. At this point, he was in his mid-40s, and you could tell he still had the fire to drive, but didn't have everything hashed out and wasn't real comfortable talking about it. But I didn't take the hint and well, let's just say the interview didn't end as well as it began. After the years passed and Benny and I got to know each other better, I brought that story up with him and we laughed about it."
Bristol Motor Speedway's tremendous growth began after Benny's broadcasting career took hold for good. As BMS grew, the broadcast booth located high above the grandstands, kept getting further and further away from the ground.
"In other words, more and more steps to come down and go up," said Jeff Byrd. "Every time I saw Benny, he asked about an elevator. One time he told me 'If you ever build an elevator in this section, you ought to name if after me because I've wanted it more than anyone else.' Not long after that, we built an elevator tower right there and as soon as it was operational, a plaque officially naming the Benny Parsons Elevator Tower went up. Benny was always very appreciative of that."
Known for his love of food, one of Benny's projects for the race-day broadcast was to tape a piece entitled "Buffet Benny" at a local eating establish along the racing circuit. It was in the very first episode of Buffet Benny that he introduced the world to Ridgewood Barbeque in Bluff City. Said Estes, "He supported Speedway Children's Charities, emceed fund-raisers for Boys and Girls Clubs and Girls Inc., spoke at Kingsport's Chamber banquet. He made himself available for all kinds of community appearances. Every track has its relationships with people in the industry, and this one is very special. He was more than a friend. He was family."
Goodbye Benny.
