Parnelli Jones dead: Legendary 1963 Indianapolis 500 Champion dies at 90 after battling Parkinson’s disease

Legendary racer and 1963 Indianapolis 500 champion Parnelli Jones died on Tuesday (June 4) at the age of 90. Announcing his death on social media, his son, PJ Jones said his father had been battling Parkinson’s disease for several years.

In 1963, Jones dominated the Speedway, setting a qualifying record of 151.153 mph and winning the race by 33 seconds over Jimmy Clark. But the victory was not without controversy as Jones's car began leaking oil and smoking, prompting race officials to consider black-flagging him. However, they were persuaded otherwise.

Fellow drivers Eddie Sachs and Roger McCluskey claimed they spun out on oil spilled from Jones's car. The next day at a luncheon, Sachs voiced his frustration, which escalated into a physical altercation, resulting in Jones punching him.

Jones competed in the Indy 500 seven times (1961-67), finishing second in 1965 and surviving a pit stop fire in 1964. He was the 1962 pole-sitter, becoming the first driver to exceed 150 mph for a 4-lap qualifying run. Throughout his Indy 500 career, he led 492 laps, the eighth most in race history. He was poised for victory in 1961 and '62 but was slowed by mechanical issues, finishing 12th and seventh respectively.

In the 1967 race, he led on Lap 196 before a bearing failure relegated him to sixth place. Born Rufus Parnell Jones in Texarkana, Arkansas, on August 12, 1933, he began racing at 17 in California, where legal racing was not permitted at the time. To hide his age, he adopted the alias "Parnelli" with the help of a friend.

Jones raced in various vehicles: sports cars, sprint cars (25 wins), midget cars (25 wins), off-road vehicles (4 Baja distance wins), and stock cars (22 NASCAR West Coast Stock wins, 4 Cups wins). After retiring from Indy 500 driving, he co-owned the cars that Al Unser used to win the race in 1970 and 1971. He also fielded a Formula One car driven by Mario Andretti from 1974 to 1976.