Recognizing and honoring Benny Parsons and expressing the condolences of the House of Representatives to his family on his death.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

We are very sorry to hear about Benny Parsons losing his life and his battle with lung cancer. He was a great race car driver, known to his friends as BP. He spent his early years in North Carolina, where he began his career in sports playing high school football.

Shortly after high school, his family moved to Detroit where his father ran a taxicab company. He helped his father and drove cabs and also worked at a local gas station.

In a town known as Motor City, Benny's interest and experience in automobiles and racing thrived. He quickly became a real huge race fan.

As the story goes, he lucked out when a truck towing a race car pulled into the station for a fill-up, and after talking with the truck driver, he was invited to join him on his way to nearby Mount Clemens Speedway. Once they arrived at the track, the race car driver who was supposed to drive the car did not show up, and so BP offered to drive the car, and that was his first race.

It is hard to believe that somebody would go from a gas station to a race car and get in it right away. I am from Indianapolis, Indiana. The Indianapolis 500 is driven there, and I cannot imagine anybody without any past experience getting into a race car and driving it and doing well, but BP did.

In 1964, Benny Parsons drove in his first official NASCAR race. Only a year later, he received the Rookie of the Year award from the Auto Racing Club of America, in one year. He would go on to win the ARCA championship in both 1968 and 1969. He had an impressive record in racing during 1971 and 1972, and his points earned him the NASCAR championship in 1973.

He also won the Daytona 500 in 1975 and the 1980 World 600 championship at Charlotte, and he continued on to win the National Speedway USA, the Texas World Speedway and his career final victory at the Coca-Cola 500 in Atlanta, Georgia. Overall, he had 283 top-10 finishes and won 21 major races.

After he finished his last race in 1988, he switched gears from driving to commentating. He started out reporting from the pits during his final years of racing but began full time for both ESPN and TBS in 1988. His firsthand knowledge of the sport captivated his audiences. He could talk from the prospective of both a fan and a driver, and was skilled at sharing his insights through his broadcasts.

As the NASCAR industry grew more popular and was televised more frequently, he commentated for both NBC and TNT. Parsons received an ACE award in 1989 and an ESPN Emmy award in 1986. His talent as an announcer earned him the new nickname, The Professor. It is a long way from race car driver to professor, but he earned it.

When he spoke, audiences listened and learned from him. In the summer of 2006, Parsons began to have trouble breathing. His doctors diagnosed him

with lung cancer, even though he had quit smoking over 25 years ago.

After a successful treatment, he noticed more trouble breathing. Doctors found that his left lung had not fully recovered from the radiation. This past December, he reentered the hospital for treatment and passed away on January 16 of this year from complications from lung cancer.

His career encompassed four decades of racing, followed by nearly two decades of announcing. Among other awards, he was inducted into the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame in 1994, the Court of Legends at Lowe's Motor Speedway in 1994, and the Motor Sports Hall of Fame of America in 2005. In 1998, he was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers.

Benny Parsons, known for his lovable personality and his positive attitude, will be greatly missed by all of those in the NASCAR community and family.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all Members to join me by supporting this resolution. We have a NASCAR race, the Brickyard 400, in Indianapolis, and we are going to miss Benny Parsons there. We wish his family well.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, we have one more speaker who is not yet here, but since he is not here, we would like to have permission to have his remarks put in the Record.

Mr. Speaker, we yield back the balance of our time.

I would just ask my colleague from Illinois, isn't every day the day for Indiana?

Mr. Speaker, may I reclaim my time? Mr. Hayes just arrived.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes).

I thank my friends Danny Davis and Dan Burton.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Benny Parsons, a friend, a true friend and a legend in the racing community. Benny passed away in January; a great loss to all our community.

Benny was born and raised in the foothills of North Carolina. After literally stumbling into the racing industry while working for his dad's service station in Detroit, Michigan, Parsons returned to Ellerbe, North Carolina in Richmond County to drive for car owner L.G. DeWitt, a local businessman who also just happened to own the Rockingham race track.

Benny Parsons led a legendary career as a NASCAR driver, and he helped make the sport what it is today. From 1964 until his retirement in 1988, Benny made 526 starts. Benny Parsons was the first stockcar driver to go over 200 miles an hour, and he turned that speed into incredible success on the track. Benny won 21 major races, including the Daytona 500 and, in 1973, earned the highest honor in NASCAR, the Winston Cup.

Benny's work and contribution did not end on the race track. Upon his retirement from racing, Benny Parsons entered broadcasting, where he further expanded the sport through his insight and his down-home commentary. Benny was a fan favorite and became known as The Professor for his relaxed and uncanny style of commentary.

Besides being a champion and Hall of Famer, Benny Parsons was most revered by his colleagues and fans for his generous nature and lovable personality.

Benny told me he was always grateful for the support the people of Richmond County gave him. Despite his fame, my conversations with Benny seemed to flow around eating at the Dixie Burger and talking Raider football in Richmond County. He maintained a home there even after settling in my hometown of Concord.

To the people of North Carolina's Eighth District, Benny Parsons will always be a hometown boy as well as a champion. I ask that you join me today in extending your sympathy to Benny's wife, Terri; his sons, Kevin and Keith; and his entire family in the racing community.

Mr. Speaker, I ask to observe a moment of silence in honor of Benny Parsons' legacy of giving.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back for a life well lived.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 69) recognizing and honoring Benny Parsons and expressing the condolences of the House of Representatives to his family on his death.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, today we honor and remember the life of Benny Parsons and his contribution to the racing community. Mr. Parsons was a legendary NASCAR driver and TV analyst. His thoughtful insights as an announcer earned him the nickname The Professor, and his achievements as a driver include a Winston Cup NASCAR championship.

Born in Wilkes County, North Carolina, he developed a penchant for cars and racing with his father. At the age of 18, he moved to Detroit where he drove taxis and worked at a service station. Soon thereafter he started his NASCAR career. In 1971, he won his first race, and in 1973 won the NASCAR championship. Mr. Parsons battled with drivers like Richard Petty and Carl Yarborough throughout his racing career that stretched over 20 years.

After Parsons retired from racing in 1988, he became a commentator and a recognized voice for NASCAR. His work helped NASCAR become one of the most widely watched sports in America and taught many newcomers to understand and enjoy racing. Earlier this year Mr. Parsons succumbed to complications from lung cancer.

So I urge my colleagues to rise in support of H. Res. 69.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers and would ask if the gentleman would want to yield back his time.

I thank the gentleman from Indiana. This seems to be the day for Indiana and Indianapolis.

I would urge support for this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from North Carolina. We have no further speakers.

As I indicated earlier, NASCAR racing is one of the most watched sports in America, and I am amazed at the number of people who participate. I would urge passage of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.