Yesterday we received the news that Rufus Parnell “Parnelli” Jones, one of the all-time greats of motorsports, passed away at the age of 90. He was a consummate competitor from the generation of drivers that raced anything on wheels, on any kind of surface. And if Parnelli Jones was behind the wheel, there was a decent chance he’d win.

Jones got his start in the 1950s, racing Jalopy-class stock cars and sprints on the dirt ovals of Southern California. He quickly worked his way up the ranks in various USAC series, which quite literally paved his path to Indianapolis—a track he will forever be associated with.

He was the first to post a qualifying lap of over 150 mph at Indianapolis, and won the race in 1963 driving an Offy-powered, front-engine Watson roadster. A few weeks later, he drove Bill Stroppe’s backup Mercury Marauder up Pikes Peak to a class win (after crashing the main car in practice). Andy Granatelli tapped Jones to drive his famous turbine car at the 500 in 1967, a race which he led until a mechanical failure in the final laps.

Parnelli’s name was ever on the lips of announcers during the heyday of Trans Am racing—he won five of 11 races during the 1970 season, securing the championship for Ford with his iconic orange #15 Boss 302. During the final race of the season at Riverside, with the title already clinched, he pitched his damaged Mustang around the corners on two wheels to take the checkered flag.

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Together with Stroppe, Parnelli Jones revolutionized off-road racing with his tube-frame, twin I-beam-suspended “Big Oly” Bronco and won several major events including back-to-back Baja 1000 races in 1971 and ’72. Meanwhile, as co-owner of the Vel’s Parnelli Jones racing team, his cars won the Indianapolis 500 three years in a row, from 1970-73, with Al Unser and Joe Leonard behind the wheel.

Image: The Daily Breeze

When looking at his record of wins, it’s hard not to think about what his schedule must have been like. Certainly, he did more living than a dozen people by the time he retired from driving in 1974, and he left a legacy that won’t be forgotten any time soon.

You can read a more detailed account of Parnelli Jones’s life and career from our friends at Car and Driver.