INDIANAPOLIS – Parnelli Jones, the 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner, paid a brief visit to Indianapolis Motor Speedway Thursday along with his family.
The Joneses are in town for Dana Mecum’s 34th Original Spring Classic Indy auto auction at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum at the Indiana State Fair. The highlight of this year’s Mecum auto auction is the Parnelli Jones Collection, with many of the cars that Jones has collected or driven in the past set to auctioned off.
That includes Jones’ famed “Big Oly” Ford Bronco Baja Racer that Jones and Bill Stroppe drove to victory in the 1971 Baja 1,000.
The 87-year-old Jones won the 1963 Indianapolis 500 and was one of the most versatile race drivers ever, winning races from off-road to sports car to IndyCar to NASCAR before becoming a famed Indy car team owner.
Jones was accompanied by his wife, Judy, sons P.J. and Page. Jones’ longtime mechanic, friend and business associate Jimmy Dilamarter as well as motorsports journalist Robin Miller were part of the entourage.
Jones posed with the Borg-Warner Trophy in Victory Circle at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford, who is working as an advisor for Arrow McLaren SP at this year’s Indianapolis 500, arrived to pay Jones a visit.
SPEED SPORT also dropped in, and Jones pointed out that, “I still read your stuff all the time.”
Later in the day, Jones also visited with four-time Indianapolis 500 winner and one of his contemporaries, A.J. Foyt in the driver/owner motorhome lot at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.