Saturday, February 16, 2019

1969 - Benny Parsons Wins Daytona ARCA 300


Benny Parsons waves from victory lane after winning the ARCA 300-mile race at Daytona.
 


Daytona Beach, Fla. (February 16, 1969) - Benny Parsons, who operates a taxi service in Detroit with his father, said his 1969 Ford ran “just beautifully” in winning the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) 300 stock car race on Sunday.

Parsons led from pole to finish, but four caution flags kept him from breaking Andy Hampton’s 1968 record speed of 148.372 miles an hour. Parsons averaged 147.985 miles per hour.

In second place, but nearly a lap behind, was Iggy Katona of Willis, Mich., driving a 1969 Dodge. Katona grabbed the second spot when Hampton ran out of gas in his 1969 Dodge and coasted to a third-place finish.

During a 35-lap duel with Katona for runner – up honors, Hampton once spun wildly on the grandstand straight, slid nearly 300 yards through the infield and back onto the track on the west bank, to get back in the race against Katona.

Ramo Stott of Keokuk, Iowa, finished fourth in a 1967 Plymouth and Sal Tovella of Chicago was fifth in a 1969 Dodge.

Les Snow’s 1969 Plymouth blew its engine with five laps go and Snow, who had been running with, the leaders all day, watched the checkered flag from the pits. The Bloomington, Ill., driver placed sixth.

Others in the order they finished were Chuck McWilliams of Union, Ky., in 1967 Dodge, Bill Kimmel of Clarksville, Ind., in a 1969 Chevelle, George Bauer of Covington, Ky., in a 1967 Dodge, and Paul Wensink of Deshler, Ohio, in a 1968 Ford.

On lap 21, Jack Shanklin of Indianapolis rolled four times when the engine in his 1967 Dodge blew entering the first turn. Shanklin was not seriously injured but was treated for shock. Shanklin’s was the only bad crash of the day, but only 13 of the 35 starters finished the race.

 

Results –
 
1. Benny Parsons
2. Iggy Katona
3. Andy Hampton
4. Ramo Stott
5. Sal Tovella
6. Les Snow
7. Chuck McWilliams
8. Bill Kimmel
9. George Bauer
10. Paul Wensink
11. Clifford Hamm
12. Bill Clemons
13. Pete Tingue
14. Dick Trickle
15. Jim Clarke
16. Francis Harden
18. Jim Scott
19. Delmar Clark
20. Red Farmer
21. Todd Gibson
22. Dave Dayton
23. Jack Shanklin
24. Dave Marcis
25. Paul Feldner
26. Ben Arnold
27. Bill Seifert
28. Bobby Watson
 

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