5-mile Stretch of 421 Named in Honor of Benny Parsons

Gov. Mike Easley today joined other state and local officals, as well as members of the NASCAR racing community, to dedicate a five-mile stretch of U.S. 421 in Wilkes County from the Watauga County line to the community of Maple Springs in honor of famed racecar driver and Emmy-award winning commentator Benny Parsons. A ceremony officially naming the highway for Parsons was held on the grounds of the Benny Parsons Racing Museum in Wilkesboro.

“Over the course of his career Benny achieved numerous accolades for his work as both a racecar driver and a commentator, becoming a household name among those who follow the sport of racing,” Easley said. “Naming this highway in his honor helps recognize the lasting contribution he made to an industry that was born in North Carolina and continues to play an important role in the culture and economy of our state.”

A Wilkes County native, Parsons began his racing career in 1963 and was a successful driver for both the Automobile Racing Club of America and NASCAR until his retirement in 1988. He then became known for his work as a racing commentator, which included hosting the internationally syndicated radio show “Fast Talk with Benny Parsons/Performance Racing Network (PRN) Radio” and serving as a color commentator for NASCAR on the TNT, NBC and ESPN television networks.

Parsons was inducted into the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Motor Sports Hall of Fame of America in 2006. He has been honored with the North Carolina Motorsports Industry Lifetime Tribute Award, National Motor Sports Press Association Award, Meyers Brothers Award and North Carolina’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

The Wilkes County Board of Commissioners requested the road naming, and the N.C. Board of Transportation passed a resolution dedicating the stretch of highway in Parsons’ honor in September 2006. Parsons passed away in January.