[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 3380-3382]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE LIFE OF BENNY PARSONS

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 69) recognizing and honoring Benny 
Parsons and expressing the condolences of the House of Representatives 
to his family on his death.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H. Res. 69

       Whereas Benny Parsons was born in Wilkes County, North 
     Carolina, on July 12, 1941, and resided in the towns of 
     Ellerbe and Concord, North Carolina in the Eighth 
     Congressional District;
       Whereas Benny Parsons was the son of Hazel and the late 
     Harold Parsons and the brother of Steve, Phil and Patty;
       Whereas Benny Parsons started racing in 1963 at the Mt. 
     Clemens Speedway in Mt. Clemens, Michigan;
       Whereas Benny Parsons was the Automobile Racing Club of 
     America (ARCA) Rookie of the Year in 1965 and ARCA Champion 
     in 1968 and 1969;
       Whereas Benny Parsons was the first ARCA Champion inducted 
     into the International Sports Hall of Fame;

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       Whereas Benny Parsons made his Winston Cup debut in 1970 
     and had his first Winston Cup victory at South Boston 
     Virginia Speedway in 1971;
       Whereas Benny Parsons was Winston Cup Champion in 1973;
       Whereas Benny Parsons had an extraordinary career as a 
     National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) 
     driver, winning 21 races, including the 1975 Daytona 500;
       Whereas in 1982 Benny Parsons qualified for the NASCAR 
     Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway at 200.175 miles per 
     hour, the first NASCAR qualification run over 200 mph;
       Whereas in 1998 Benny Parsons was named one of the 50 
     Greatest Drivers in NASCAR History;
       Whereas after a successful career as a driver, Benny 
     Parsons developed a successful career in broadcasting, 
     further expanding his sport through his insight and 
     commentary;
       Whereas Benny Parsons was known for his kindness by all who 
     had the good fortune to meet him;
       Whereas Benny Parsons was a loving husband to his wife 
     Terri and an exceptional father to his sons Kevin and Keith;
       Whereas Benny Parsons was a man of strong faith and 
     character; and
       Whereas Benny Parsons passed away on January 16, 2007, 
     prompting friend and former competitor Darrell Waltrip to 
     state that ``Benny Parsons was the kindest, sweetest, most 
     considerate person I have ever known. He was a great 
     champion, a great ambassador for our sport but more than 
     that, he was a great person. He exemplified that good guys 
     can be winners too.'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes Benny Parsons as one of the greatest race 
     car drivers ever to participate in the sport of auto racing 
     and recognizes his many contributions to the Nation 
     throughout his lifetime;
       (2) honors Benny Parsons for transcending the sport of auto 
     racing to become a role model as both a talented competitor 
     and mentor and as a loving husband and father; and
       (3) extends its deepest condolences to the family of Benny 
     Parsons.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Members may have 5 
legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today we honor and remember the life of Benny Parsons 
and his contribution to the racing community. Mr. Parsons was a 
legendary NASCAR driver and TV analyst. His thoughtful insights as an 
announcer earned him the nickname The Professor, and his achievements 
as a driver include a Winston Cup NASCAR championship.
  Born in Wilkes County, North Carolina, he developed a penchant for 
cars and racing with his father. At the age of 18, he moved to Detroit 
where he drove taxis and worked at a service station. Soon thereafter 
he started his NASCAR career. In 1971, he won his first race, and in 
1973 won the NASCAR championship. Mr. Parsons battled with drivers like 
Richard Petty and Carl Yarborough throughout his racing career that 
stretched over 20 years.
  After Parsons retired from racing in 1988, he became a commentator 
and a recognized voice for NASCAR. His work helped NASCAR become one of 
the most widely watched sports in America and taught many newcomers to 
understand and enjoy racing. Earlier this year Mr. Parsons succumbed to 
complications from lung cancer.
  So I urge my colleagues to rise in support of H. Res. 69.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  We are very sorry to hear about Benny Parsons losing his life and his 
battle with lung cancer. He was a great race car driver, known to his 
friends as BP. He spent his early years in North Carolina, where he 
began his career in sports playing high school football.
  Shortly after high school, his family moved to Detroit where his 
father ran a taxicab company. He helped his father and drove cabs and 
also worked at a local gas station.
  In a town known as Motor City, Benny's interest and experience in 
automobiles and racing thrived. He quickly became a real huge race fan.
  As the story goes, he lucked out when a truck towing a race car 
pulled into the station for a fill-up, and after talking with the truck 
driver, he was invited to join him on his way to nearby Mount Clemens 
Speedway. Once they arrived at the track, the race car driver who was 
supposed to drive the car did not show up, and so BP offered to drive 
the car, and that was his first race.
  It is hard to believe that somebody would go from a gas station to a 
race car and get in it right away. I am from Indianapolis, Indiana. The 
Indianapolis 500 is driven there, and I cannot imagine anybody without 
any past experience getting into a race car and driving it and doing 
well, but BP did.

                              {time}  1200

  In 1964, Benny Parsons drove in his first official NASCAR race. Only 
a year later, he received the Rookie of the Year award from the Auto 
Racing Club of America, in one year. He would go on to win the ARCA 
championship in both 1968 and 1969. He had an impressive record in 
racing during 1971 and 1972, and his points earned him the NASCAR 
championship in 1973.
  He also won the Daytona 500 in 1975 and the 1980 World 600 
championship at Charlotte, and he continued on to win the National 
Speedway USA, the Texas World Speedway and his career final victory at 
the Coca-Cola 500 in Atlanta, Georgia. Overall, he had 283 top-10 
finishes and won 21 major races.
  After he finished his last race in 1988, he switched gears from 
driving to commentating. He started out reporting from the pits during 
his final years of racing but began full time for both ESPN and TBS in 
1988. His firsthand knowledge of the sport captivated his audiences. He 
could talk from the prospective of both a fan and a driver, and was 
skilled at sharing his insights through his broadcasts.
  As the NASCAR industry grew more popular and was televised more 
frequently, he commentated for both NBC and TNT. Parsons received an 
ACE award in 1989 and an ESPN Emmy award in 1986. His talent as an 
announcer earned him the new nickname, The Professor. It is a long way 
from race car driver to professor, but he earned it.
  When he spoke, audiences listened and learned from him. In the summer 
of 2006, Parsons began to have trouble breathing. His doctors diagnosed 
him with lung cancer, even though he had quit smoking over 25 years 
ago.
  After a successful treatment, he noticed more trouble breathing. 
Doctors found that his left lung had not fully recovered from the 
radiation. This past December, he reentered the hospital for treatment 
and passed away on January 16 of this year from complications from lung 
cancer.
  His career encompassed four decades of racing, followed by nearly two 
decades of announcing. Among other awards, he was inducted into the 
International Motor Sports Hall of Fame in 1994, the Court of Legends 
at Lowe's Motor Speedway in 1994, and the Motor Sports Hall of Fame of 
America in 2005. In 1998, he was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest 
drivers.
  Benny Parsons, known for his lovable personality and his positive 
attitude, will be greatly missed by all of those in the NASCAR 
community and family.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask all Members to join me by supporting this 
resolution. We have a NASCAR race, the Brickyard 400, in Indianapolis, 
and we are going to miss Benny Parsons there. We wish his family well.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers and 
would ask if the gentleman would want to yield back his time.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, we have one more speaker who is 
not yet here, but since he is not here,

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we would like to have permission to have his remarks put in the Record.
  Mr. Speaker, we yield back the balance of our time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I thank the gentleman from Indiana. This seems 
to be the day for Indiana and Indianapolis.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. I would just ask my colleague from Illinois, 
isn't every day the day for Indiana?
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I would urge support for this resolution.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, may I reclaim my time? Mr. Hayes 
just arrived.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from 
Indiana reclaims his time.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes).
  Mr. HAYES. I thank my friends Danny Davis and Dan Burton.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Benny Parsons, a 
friend, a true friend and a legend in the racing community. Benny 
passed away in January; a great loss to all our community.
  Benny was born and raised in the foothills of North Carolina. After 
literally stumbling into the racing industry while working for his 
dad's service station in Detroit, Michigan, Parsons returned to 
Ellerbe, North Carolina in Richmond County to drive for car owner L.G. 
DeWitt, a local businessman who also just happened to own the 
Rockingham race track.
  Benny Parsons led a legendary career as a NASCAR driver, and he 
helped make the sport what it is today. From 1964 until his retirement 
in 1988, Benny made 526 starts. Benny Parsons was the first stockcar 
driver to go over 200 miles an hour, and he turned that speed into 
incredible success on the track. Benny won 21 major races, including 
the Daytona 500 and, in 1973, earned the highest honor in NASCAR, the 
Winston Cup.
  Benny's work and contribution did not end on the race track. Upon his 
retirement from racing, Benny Parsons entered broadcasting, where he 
further expanded the sport through his insight and his down-home 
commentary. Benny was a fan favorite and became known as The Professor 
for his relaxed and uncanny style of commentary.
  Besides being a champion and Hall of Famer, Benny Parsons was most 
revered by his colleagues and fans for his generous nature and lovable 
personality.
  Benny told me he was always grateful for the support the people of 
Richmond County gave him. Despite his fame, my conversations with Benny 
seemed to flow around eating at the Dixie Burger and talking Raider 
football in Richmond County. He maintained a home there even after 
settling in my hometown of Concord.
  To the people of North Carolina's Eighth District, Benny Parsons will 
always be a hometown boy as well as a champion. I ask that you join me 
today in extending your sympathy to Benny's wife, Terri; his sons, 
Kevin and Keith; and his entire family in the racing community.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask to observe a moment of silence in honor of Benny 
Parsons' legacy of giving.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back for a life well lived.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman 
from North Carolina. We have no further speakers.
  As I indicated earlier, NASCAR racing is one of the most watched 
sports in America, and I am amazed at the number of people who 
participate. I would urge passage of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 69.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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