Johnny Parsons

{{Infobox racing driver

| name = Johnny Parsons

| image = File:Indy500 JohnnyParsons.JPG

| caption = Parsons in 2014

| birth_name = John Wayne Parsons

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1944|08|26}}

| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| titles =

| awards =

| module1 = {{Infobox Champ Car driver|child=yes

| years = 1969-1989, 1991-1995

| Total_Champ_Races = 102

| Years_In_Champ = 26

| Champ_Car_Team =

| Best_Champ_Pos = 10th – 1976

| First_Champ_Race = 1969 Golden State 100 (Sacramento)

| Last_Champ_Race = 1991 Miller Genuine Draft 200 (Milwaukee)

| First_Champ_Win =

| Last_Champ_Win =

| Champ_Wins = 0

| Champ_Podiums = 2

| Champ_Poles = 2

}}|module2 = {{Infobox Champ Car driver|child=yes

| years = 1996-1997

| Total_IRL_Races = 4

| Years_In_IRL = 2

| IRL_Car_Team =

| Best_IRL_Pos = 17th – 1996

| First_IRL_Race = 1996 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World (Orlando)

| Last_IRL_Race = 1996 Las Vegas 500K (Las Vegas)

| First_IRL_Win =

| Last_IRL_Win =

| IRL_Wins = 0

| IRL_Podiums = 0

| IRL_Poles = 0

}}}}

John Wayne Parsons{{Cite web |title=Johnny Parsons |url=http://www.champcarstats.com/drivers/ParsonsJohnny.htm |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=www.champcarstats.com}}1975 Indianapolis 500 Radio Broadcast - Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network (May 25, 1975) (born August 26, 1944 in Van Nuys, California) is an American race car driver. He is the son of 1950 Indianapolis 500 winner Johnnie Parsons. He drove Indy cars in the USAC National Championship, and also drove USAC championship dirt cars. Parsons made twelve starts at the Indianapolis 500, with a best finish of 5th in 1977 and 1985.

Racing career

Parsons started twelve Indianapolis 500 races. His last Indy 500 start was the 1996 race.

Parsons finished second in the 1977 USAC National points. Parsons has also twice finished second in the USAC championship dirt cars.

Parsons won 29 midget car features (as of 1994), including major wins at: the 4-Crown Nationals midget car feature twice, the 1979 Hut Hundred, and the 1986 Copper World Classic midget feature. He has won two Silver Crown and five sprint car features.

When Davey Hamilton decided to come out of retirement to run in the 2007 Indy 500, Parsons replaced him as the driver expert for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network's broadcasts of race activities.

Racing family

Johnny Parsons is the son of Johnnie Parsons and Arza Parsons (née Mitchell). His parents divorced, and Johnny was raised with half-brothers Dana Carter and Duane "Pancho" Carter Jr., the product of Arza's marriage with Duane Carter Sr. The Carters grew up racing quarter-midgets in Indianapolis.[http://worthyofhonor.com/Inductees/Johnny_Parsons.htm Biography] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929090952/http://worthyofhonor.com/Inductees/Johnny_Parsons.htm |date=2007-09-29 }} at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame His first name is spelled differently than his father's. Though not his legal name, he was sometimes referred to in the media as "Johnny Parsons Jr." to distinguish him from his father.

Career award

Parsons was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1994.

Racing record

=Complete USAC Mini-Indy Series results=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"

! Year

! Entrant

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! Pos

! Points

1977

| TRE

| MIL

| MOS

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| PIR
{{small|DNS}}

| -

1979

| TEX1

| IRP

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MIL1
{{small|4}}

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| POC
{{small|19}}

| TEX2

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MIL2
{{small|22}}

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MIN1
{{small|21}}

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MIN2
{{small|4}}

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 11th

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 250

=IRL IndyCar Series=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"

! Year

! Team

! Chassis

! No.

! Engine

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! Rank

! Points

! Ref

rowspan=1| 1996

!rowspan=2| Blueprint Racing

!rowspan=2| Lola T93

!rowspan=2| 16

!rowspan=1| Menard

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| WDW
{{small|18}}

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| PHX
{{small|12}}

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| INDY
{{small|28}}

|colspan=7|

!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 17th

!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 141

!{{cite web|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/driver-season-stats/parsojo01/1996/O/|title=Johnny Parsons – 1996 Indy Racing League Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 7, 2023}}

rowspan=1| 1996-97

!rowspan=1| Buick

| NH1
{{small| }}

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| LV1
{{small|28}}

| WDW
{{small| }}

| PHX
{{small| }}

| INDY
{{small| }}

| TEX
{{small| }}

| PIK
{{small| }}

| CMS
{{small| }}

| NH2
{{small| }}

| LV2
{{small| }}

!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 51st

!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 7

!{{cite web|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/driver-season-stats/parsojo01/1997/O/|title=Johnny Parsons – 1997 Indy Racing League Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 7, 2023}}

=Indianapolis 500 results=

File:JohnnyParsonsSVRA2016.jpg.]]

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
Year ! Chassis ! Engine ! Start ! Finish
1969 \| \| \| Failed to Qualify \|
1973 \| King \| Offy \| Practice Crash \|
1974 \| Finley \| Offy \| 29th \| 26th
1975 \| Eagle \| Offy \| 12th \| 19th
1976 \| Eagle \| Offy \| 14th \| 12th
1977 \| Wildcat \| DGS \| 11th \| 5th
1978 \| Lightning \| Offy \| 8th \| 10th
1979 \| Lightning \| DGS \| 9th \| 32nd
1980 \| Lightning \| Offy \| 7th \| 26th
1981 \| Lightning \| Chevrolet \| Failed to Qualify \|
1982 \| March \| Cosworth \| 25th \| 20th
1983 \| Penske \| Cosworth \| 23rd \| 22nd
1984 \| Penske \| Cosworth \| Failed to Qualify \|
1985 \| March \| Cosworth \| 26th \| 5th
1986 \| March \| Cosworth \| 28th \| 27th
1987 \| March \| Buick \| Failed to Qualify \|
1988 \| March \| Cosworth \| Failed to Qualify \|
1989 \| March/Lola \| Cosworth \| Failed to Qualify \|
1991 \| Lola \| Cosworth \| Failed to Qualify \|
1992 \| Lola \| Buick \| Failed to Qualify \|
1993 \| \| Chevrolet \| Failed to Qualify \|
1994 \| Lola \| Greenfield \| Failed to Qualify \|
1995 \| Reynard \| Ford-Cosworth \| Failed to Qualify \|
1996 \| Lola \| Menard-Buick \| 27th \| 28th

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"

Year

! Chassis

! Engine

! Start

! Finish

1969

| Failed to Qualify

1973

| King

| Offy

| Practice Crash