Parnelli Jones, a legendary figure in the world of racing, passed away at the age of 90. Jones was an Indianapolis 500 winner, achieving this feat not once but twice – first as a driver in 1963 and then again as a team owner in 1972. In 1963, he won the race despite an oil leak in his car, leading 167 of the race’s 200 laps and beating Jim Clark for the win.
Jones was known for his versatility as a racer, competing in various disciplines including NASCAR Cup Series races where he had four wins and 11 top-10 finishes. His final NASCAR win came in 1967 at Riverside, and he was a strong contender at the Indianapolis 500 that year but was sidelined by a mechanical issue.
In the later years of his career, Jones turned to off-road racing and won the Baja 1000 in 1971 and 1972. He was the first driver to win the Indy 500 before winning the Baja 1000 and completed the race in less than 15 hours. Al Unser Sr., one of Jones’ drivers, drove for his race team and won the Indianapolis 500 in 1970 and 1971, leading a significant number of laps in both races. Unser’s pole lap of over
