Guest Author - De Powell

There’s a dark cloud hanging over the heads of NASCAR fans everywhere. Just mere days after the loss of Bobby Hamilton, we were dealt yet another blow.

We received the announcement that on Tuesday, January 16, Benny ‘BP’ Parsons, beloved driver and commentator succumbed to complications from the treatments he had undergone for lung cancer. The cancer was gone, but the aggressive treatments had damaged his left lung so severely that it wasn’t functioning properly. He was admitted into the hospital shortly after Christmas and put into intensive care when a blood clot was discovered in his right lung, and later was put into a drug-induced coma.

Parsons, the 1973 Winston Champion retired from racing in 1988, but quickly moved from the track to the broadcast booth. Many fans today don’t remember him when he was out on the track competing in over 500 races. His knowledge about NASCAR, both where it’s been and where it was heading, as well as his sheer excitement of racing was something that endeared him to the fans, young and old alike.

Parsons was not one to give up. His attitude was positive when he announced in July that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Even with the personal pain that he was enduring, he didn’t change. Throughout the rest of the season, he continued to be in the booth as often as he could, sometimes visibly weak, yet with his ever-present smile as big as ever. He was amazed at the outpouring of prayers and well wishes. "The most unbelievable thing about this is that so many people are praying for me and thinking about me," Parsons said last summer. "It has been humbling. I've always made the mistake that when friends get sick, I know everyone is calling them so I figure I won't call. That's wrong. I can't tell you how gratifying it has been to hear from friends and colleagues. You always wonder if you made a difference, if you were saying or doing something that meant something. All of this means to me that people have been listening."

Even after discovering the damage to his lung in mid-December, Parsons’ positive attitude wasn’t shaken. ''As my radiation oncologist told me today, John Wayne lived and had a great career with one lung. There is no reason why I can't do the same. It will take a little while for the right lung to pull the weight for the left lung so until then I will still need to use oxygen when I walk. I won't need it sitting or commentating races and to me that is the main thing. If given a choice between cancer or losing a lung I would say that I got the right end of the deal.''

"I heard someone say this one time and I thought it was fabulous," Parsons said. "Everyone can't be stars. Someone has to sit on the sidewalk and clap as they go by.” If the opinions of those whose lives he touched are any indication, Benny was definitely a bright star to those that knew him.

Benny touched many lives and his friends and colleagues have expressed their feelings about the loss that they are feeling. Larry McReynolds put into words what many of us are feeling. "Even though we are already mourning the loss of Benny Parsons, Benny Parsons will be very upset with us if we don't celebrate the life that he lived, because that's what he did very single day; he loved life, he loved what he did, the people he was around, he loved the people in the garage in the media center and we have to remember that. Even though we do it with tears in our eyes already, the man loved what he did. Not to grab cliches but there's no question if you said find me one person who best defines a gentleman in NASCAR, I think Benny Parsons name would be right on top of that chart."

"In my 30 odd years of racing Benny Parsons, I never knew of anyone being mad at Benny," said fellow broadcaster Darrell Waltrip. " Benny Parsons was a great champion, a great ambassador for our sport but more than that, he was a great person. He exemplified that good guys can be winners too."

NASCAR isn’t just a sport, it’s an ever-growing family. Just as with any other family, there are times we are happy and celebrating life and times when our hearts are heavy. We are grieving together. This year is one that has started with much sorrow. We will go on, but we still remember those that helped make NASCAR what it is today, and Benny was one of those that we will remember as one that was always respected and truly enjoyed life. His presence and his smile will be sorely missed.

Til next week.....