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Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (NC-05) honored NASCAR racing legend and Fifth District native Benny Parsons on the House Floor yesterday. Benny was a truly inspirational figure who passed away Tuesday, January 16 after a long battle with cancer. Below is the transcript of Foxx’s speech:

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate a true inspiration whose perseverance showed the very best of the human spirit. Yesterday, Benny Parsons, a NASCAR legend, passed away after a difficult battle with lung cancer.

“Parsons grew up in the foothills of North Carolina in Wilkes County, and his dedication and drive lifted him from poverty to national recognition. He became an inspiration to countless fans and individuals. He was a beloved character who brought passion to the sport. Today, we mourn and also celebrate the life of this beloved man in the 5th District of North Carolina.

“The chairman of NASCAR, Brian France, said of Benny Parsons, who was affectionately referred to as BP, that ‘Benny Parsons was a true champion, both on the race track and in life. Benny loved our sport and the people that make it up and those people loved him. He will be remembered as being a great ambassador for the sport.’ Words such as these convey the deep admiration, respect and love of Benny and the effect he had on those with whom he connected.

“After leaving Wilkes County, Benny first took a job as a cab driver in Detroit, Michigan, before he progressed to become a NASCAR champion. While faced with fame and admiration, Benny never forgot his roots and the importance of where he came from. He was often referred to as ‘The Professor' after he retired from racing in 1988 and began broadcasting and commenting on NASCAR races for NBC, ESPN and TNT. He had an uncanny ability to deliver information in a relaxed and informative way for the last 6 years, even when he was going through the rigorous treatment for cancer.

“Michael Waltrip, who recently tested his car at the Daytona track, said of Benny, ‘When you talked to him, he brought out the human element. The cars are nuts and bolts, but he talked through that. He was able to deliver to people. He just tried to be passionate about what he believed, and he did a great job of explaining what people were seeing.’ To show his admiration of Benny, Waltrip painted on the side of his car, ‘We love you, BP.’

“Respect, admiration and inspiration among colleagues, fans and the public made Benny Parsons the amazing and inspirational figure that he was, but it was his personality that espoused all of these qualities so many came to admire. It was his passion and commitment to NASCAR and his love of the sport that made Benny such a lovable person and such a great inspiration. Even at his sickest moments, he had set up a Web blog for his fans, continually sharing his optimism that he would recover and that the will to fight is so important.

“Besides the inspirational spirit and the continual drive to fight any obstacle in front of him, Benny Parsons was quite the accomplished NASCAR driver. He was a member of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. He was the 1973 NASCAR champion and won 21 races, including the race in 1957 at Daytona. In addition to those accomplishments, Benny was the first driver to be a Cup competitor, to qualify for a race over 200 miles per hour, driving 200.176 miles per hour at the Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in 1982.

“Benny Parsons made 526 starts from 1964 until his retirement in 1988. With such an outstanding record, Benny was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1994 and continued his passion by broadcasting from the pit and won a Cable Ace Award for best sports analyst on his first season in the booth.

“I think that NBC sports champion Dick Ebersol said it best about Benny, commenting, ‘Benny was a beloved and widely respected member of the NASCAR community. He was a great driver and a terrific broadcaster, but above anything else, he was a kind and generous human being. His character and spirit will define how he is remembered by all of us.’

“Benny fought cancer to the end with optimism and grace, inspiring countless people. His compassion, generosity and charming personality will be missed. Benny had made North Carolina and NASCAR proud, and his memory will be a lasting one of inspiration and dedication.”

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