Heard the sad news today that Benny Parsons has died, and earlier this month we lost Bobby Hamilton as well...I know this isn't the biggest NASCAR crowd, but I thought it would be appropriate to acknowledge their careers.
Benny was champion in 1973, and one of the first of the former drivers to find a second career in broadcasting. At the time when he should have been anticipating a well-deserved retirement, he was diagnosed with lung cancer, and after receiving news that it was in full remission, complications from losing a lung led to his passing.
Hamilton was at the pinnacle of his career, having won the Craftsman Truck Championship recently, and was one of the top drivers in the series, and was diagnosed early last season with a cancerous growth in his neck. He fought a courageous fight against the illness, as well.
Both men were consummate sportsmen and champions who reflected the ideals of the sport. They will be missed...
Dan