Indianapolis Motor Speedway remembers the 1963 Indy 500 champion

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday honored a racing legend who died Tuesday.

The 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner, Parnelli Jones died at the age of 90. Jones’ son said his dad had been battling Parkinson’s disease.

On Thursday, IMS remembered Jones by putting his 1963 Indy 500-winning car on the track alongside the Borg-Warner Trophy. The scoring pylon also had images of Jones.

“We’ve got the car that he actually won in 1963 with,” IMS President Doug Boles said. “It’s the car he sat on the pole and broke that track record at 150 mph. And obviously, the Borg-Warner Trophy because his face is on there.”

Jones is the driver who in 1962 broke the 150 mph speed barrier at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

He started on pole for the Indy 500 in both 1962 and 1963.

Boles said the pylon will be lit up to honor Jones through sunset on Friday “as a way to pay respect to Parnelli.”

He added that the pylon will rotate between images of Jones and and the traditional “Racing Capital of the World” slogan.

“What we want to do is pay respect for these guys,” Boles said. “And when we have the car, can light the pylon, you can bring the Borg (trophy) out, it’s just our way of saying ‘Thank you’ to these people who really created a lot of the race fans, especially Indy 500 fans, we have today.”

Jones competed in seven Indy 500s as a driver.

“The racing world has lost a great competitor and a true champion,” IMS owner Roger Penske said in a statement released Tuesday. “Parnelli Jones was one of the most accomplished racers in history, and his determination and will to win made him one of the toughest competitors I have ever seen. From racing against him on track to competing against him as a fellow team owner, I always respected Parnelli’s passion and commitment to the sport he loved. I was proud to call Parnelli a good friend for many years, and our thoughts are with his family as we remember one of the true legends of motorsports.”