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Indy
500 vet Johnny Parsons chasing records at Illinois State Fair on
Saturday
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[August 13, 2007]
SPRINGFIELD -- At 62 years, 11
months and 23 days, most people would be thinking of a slow-paced
activity on a hot, late-summer afternoon. All except Johnny Parsons
of Speedway, Ind., that is. On Saturday, the last remaining active
driver of the famed "Rookie Class of 1974" at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway will strap himself into a machine weighing nearly a ton and
capable of speeds over 180 miles an hour as he chases down records
held by Jim McElreath and George Snider when he rolls out to qualify
for the 47th running of the Tony Bettenhausen 100 USAC K&N
Engineering Silver Crown Series race at the Illinois State
Fairgrounds.
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 A 16-time starter at the Indianapolis 500, the former Los Angeles
policeman is in his 38th season of driving the mighty uprights and
looks to eclipse Jim McElreath's record as the oldest man in the
73-year history of national championship dirt track racing in the
Illinois capitol to start one of the 100-mile events. McElreath,
born Feb. 18, 1928. was 64 years, 6 months and 4 days when he
started the 32nd Tony Bettenhausen 100 on Aug. 22, 1992.Parsons
is quite familiar with the Illinois State Fair mile; he has three
pole positions in the Tony Bettenhausen 100 at Springfield and holds
the dubious distinction of having led the most races (5) and most
laps (128) of any driver who has not found victory lane in a
championship dirt car at Springfield. Should Parsons, the winner of
the 1985 Rex Easton Memorial USAC Midget race at Springfield, be
able to make the 47th Tony Bettenhausen 100, it would mark his 26th
championship dirt car start at Springfield and his 25th in the Tony
Bettenhausen 100, second only to George Snider, and would break
Snider's record of 24 USAC Silver Crown starts on the "World's
Fastest One Mile Dirt Track."
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However, don't let Parsons' age fool you into thinking that he's
just along for the ride. The ageless veteran keeps himself in
excellent condition and is quite capable of running near the front
of any 100-mile dirt track event, as evidenced by his 22nd starting
position in last year's race and a run toward the top 10 that was
thwarted by a flat tire three-quarters of the way through. Parsons
gained his first USAC Silver Crown win at O'Reilly Raceway Park in
1992 and followed that up with a record-setting performance at
DuQuoin, all in the same potent V-6 machine of Glen Neibel. He also
won at DuQuoin in 1995 at age 51 and still holds the record for the
fastest 100-mile race on dirt for the USAC Silver Crown Series, set
in 1992 at DuQuoin.
The son of the 1950 Indianapolis 500 winner is entered once again
in the car owned by Benton businessman Ricky Nix and faces a field
that should include the defending USAC Silver Crown champion, three
former Tony Bettenhausen 100 winners and eight Illinois drivers,
including Springfield's own Justin Allgaier and popular Donnie
Beechler.
Tickets for the 47th Tony Bettenhausen 100 are now on sale at
Ticketmaster, the Illinois State Fair Box Office or Track
Enterprises at 217-764-3200.
[Text from file received
from Jay Hardin]
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