Parnelli Jones is best remembered as the winner of the 1963
Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and the “almost” winner in the
famous Andy Granatelli Turbine in 1967.
He is also remembered as one of the “Chevy Twins” when he and
Jim Hurtubise brought the stock block engine to USAC Sprint
Car racing.
His entry into the National Midget Auto
Racing Hall of
Fame comes as a result of winning 25 USAC Midget features
during his career, a remarkable feat considering that he drove
midgets only on occasion, normally in the spring and fall of
the seasons between 1960 and 1967.
He placed 14th in the 1966 USAC Midget points in spite
of starting in only seven of that year’s 65 races! The reason
for the high finish was victories in five of the seven,
including the “Turkey Night” classic which he also won in
1964.
Jones won races in four different USAC divisions and
ranks 8th in the National Career Victory standings.
Ironically, he won as many midget features as he did in the
sprint cars that made him famous.
