Media Releases

Lighting Strikes Benny Parsons Rendevous Ridge - Tasting Room Closed Temporarily

Benny Parsons Rendezvous Ridge was damaged by fire Friday night after receiving a direct lightening strike during  a severe thunderstorm.

No one was injured in the fire and all of 1973 NASCAR Winston Cup champion's Benny Parsons' racing memorabilia was saved thanks to the quick work of the four fire departments that responded and the wedding party that was having a rehearsal dinner at the vineyard when the fire occurred. The groom was a former firefighter with the Concord [N.C.] Fire Department and immediately took charge when the lightening strike occurred and thick black smoke billowed from the trophy room's walls.

Due to the fire the tasting room will be closed temporarily, Benny Parsons Rendezvous Ridge will still continue to service all of our clients, and still continue to fulfill orders placed through the wine store on our website. Thank you.

~Benny Parsons Rendezvous Ridge Staff~

Glad to be back at the track
NBCSports.com

As I sit here on a beautiful fall day in Martinsville, Va., I can't believe how blessed I am. The leaves are turning, the air is crisp, and the chase is on. This is a very exciting time of the year for any race fan, but you cannot imagine how exciting this is for old BP.

On July 13, the day after my 65th birthday, I was diagnosed with lung cancer. I hadn't been feeling well for a while, and I knew something was wrong. Still, I wasn't prepared to hear my doctor say, "You have lung cancer." I guess nobody really ever could be. I didn't break down in tears. I didn't think that my life was over. I just felt strange -- surreal.

I had stopped by the doctor's office on my way to the airport. I was heading up to New Hampshire, looking forward to covering the Lenox Industrial Tools 300. Obviously, things were different now, and I had a lot more on my mind. Still, I figured there'd be no harm in traveling up to Loudon. I could go see my oncologist on Monday.

So I left the doctor's office, went home to tell my wife and family about my condition, then went to the airport to fly to New Hampshire. It was a huge mistake, and that weekend was probably the worst couple of days I've ever had.

The hardest thing was not knowing how bad the cancer was? Was it treatable? Had it spread to other organs? I just didn't know, and it drove me crazy. I also didn't tell anyone up in New Hampshire what was going on with me, so there was really no one to talk to there.

I don't know if I've ever been so nervous or as uncomfortable as I was sitting in the oncologist's office on Monday. The waiting was torture. When the oncologist came out after looking over my scans and taking some blood, he told me, "This is not a death sentence. The cancer is isolated in the left lung and it hasn't spread. The other good news is that you are otherwise healthy and we can start treatment immediately."

His words lifted my spirits, and though I knew a long road lay ahead, I was feeling positive. The uncertainty was gone, and I had a bounce in my step as I left his office.

A day or two later, NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick called. Rick had beaten leukemia 10 years ago and told me that I had to see his doctor, Dr. Steven Limentani of Charlotte. He swore by Dr. Limentani, so I went to see him immediately.

Dr. Limentani decided to treat my condition aggressively, and for the next 12 weeks he put me through a series of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. As anyone who has had, or knows somebody who has undergone chemotherapy treatments, they can be a tough deal. Chemo tires you out, and while it kills cancer cells, chemo also kills healthy cells. My white and red blood cell counts became dangerously low during the treatment. I once had to spend three days in hospital.

I still followed the races and worked as much as I could. I ended up missing Michigan, California, Loudon, and Kansas. I just didn't feel well enough to travel. The folks at NBC and TNT, though, couldn't have been more understanding. "Get well BP, they told me. That is your first priority."

By Talladega, I was feeling better. Hendrick was instrumental in my recovery and had been flying me to races on his private plane so I could come in and leave on race day. He flew me down to the UAW-Ford 500 on Oct. 8. I can't tell you how good it felt to be at the track that Sunday.

The Wednesday before the Bank of America 500 at Lowe's, I had another scan. My doctor couldn't believe what he saw. "Remarkable!" he told me. "Ninety-nine percent of the cancer is gone!"

I went to Lowe's the next day and hung around the garage. It was the first time I had been back there since I had been diagnosed. To be able to talk racing and cars with friends -- I can't express how good that felt. And to see the smiles on the drivers' and crews' faces when they saw me -- it was an unbelievably gratifying feeling.

Someone asked me why I think I was able to beat the cancer so quickly. Now, I don't know if I've beaten it. I'm continuing to fight, and it looks like I'm winning. I got a nose in front for sure. Why? Besides being blessed, I think there are two reasons.

The first is Dr. Limentani's aggressive treatment. While the side effects were tough, his treatment and constant monitoring of my situation were invaluable. Hardly a day went by when he didn't check up on me. As good as the medicines were, his care was just as, if not more, important.

The second reason, and one for which I will ever be grateful, is the outpouring of love and concern from fans. I received thousands of cards and e-mails from people who I don't know. When "strangers" -- and I use that word cautiously because they aren't really strangers -- pour their souls out to you explaining how they or loved ones battled against cancer, it humbles you.

Sunday school classes wrote me, telling me to get well, and saying that they were praying for me. I received cards from Catholic and Baptist churches, Methodist congregations, and Jewish synagogues. It seemed like everyone in the world was pulling for me. I wish I had the words to describe how appreciative I am of their cards, letters, thoughts and prayers.

To everyone who wrote or had me in their prayers or thoughts, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You truly did make me better. And for those of you who may not be feeling well, please see a doctor. It may be nothing, but just in case, the earlier you catch a problem the better.

Friday, August 11th, 2006

This article appeared on SportsIllustrated.com
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/richard_deitsch/08/11/media.circusw/index.html

Last week SI writer Richard Deitsch interviewed Benny Parsons for the magazine's Q&A. The 65-year-old NBC and TNT NASCAR analyst won 21 races in his career as a driver, including the 1975 Daytona 500. Here are additional excerpts from the interview:

SI: You recently received a diagnosis of lung cancer. How did you know that something was wrong?

Parsons: I'd try to take a couple of stairs rather than an elevator just to get that little bit of exercise, and it got to the point where I'd be at the top of stairs saying, Man, I'm out of breath. I blamed it on the summer ozone because I have been taking allergy shots for 18 years. Finally, I thought I'd better check this out. We've all had conversations about cancer, but all of a sudden [my doctor] was talking about me. It was the most surreal feeling.

SI: You last smoked in 1978?

Parsons: Yep.

SI: Were you a heavy smoker before 1978

Parsons: I was not a light smoker. I probably smoked a pack a day.

SI: Did your doctors tell you the cancer is a result of smoking?

Parsons: They don't know, but I'll say two things: No. 1, everyone I tell that I have lung cancer, it doesn't matter who I tell, medical people, friends, casual acquaintances, strangers, the first question they ask is do you smoke or did you ever smoke? The second thing is if I had to blame anything for this problem my guess is it would be asbestos. In the '60s I worked at a gas station on a fleet of taxi cabs. Breaks would not last very long on these cabs. We had to replace them every 5,000 miles. In the '60s friction lining on break shoes was asbestos. So when I took those drums off that dust would be a quarter of an inch deep and I would take an air hose and blow all that stuff off. So every week I was exposed to asbestos dust. That would be my guess.

SI: What is your treatment schedule like?

Parsons: I started on July 26 and I do three straight days of chemotherapy every three weeks. The radiation will be five days a week.

SI: Will you remain in the booth during your treatments?

Parsons: As long as I am able, I will.

SI: Are you staying positive?

Parsons: Practically every person I talk to, be it medical people, friends, casual acquaintances or strangers, they all say a positive attitude when it comes to this is everything. If you feel like you can win, you've got a much better chance. I am a positive guy and all of the doctors I've seen have told me the same thing: We have a chance to win.

SI: You make your living with your voice. Does your voice hurt?

Parsons: It does not hurt a bit. They say that I may end up with some irritation in my throat and my voice may be affected.

SI: There's an e-mail address -- bp@goprn.com -- where fans can send words of encouragement. Thousands have, right?

Parsons: Ain't it cool? A couple of thousand people wishing me good luck and Godspeed? It's fantastic.

SI: Tony Stewart recently said that if Dale Earnhardt Sr. were still with us, NASCAR would not be having all these instances of drivers taking each other out. You drove against Dale. What's your thought?

Parsons: I'm not a big fan of self-policing. In vigilante justice every once in awhile the wrong guy gets hung. At Pocano the wrong people got hung. I have not talked to Clint Bowyer, but what I read was that he saw Tony come in behind him and decided to give him the inside, the preferred groove coming off Turn 3, and moved up the racetrack to give Tony that space. And Tony had chosen to go to the go the outside. Clint did not know he was there and he kept coming up to give Tony room and crowded Tony up against the outside retaining wall. And that made Tony angry, so the vigilante in him popped out: I'm going to show him. He hits Clint Bowyer, and he goes down and wrecks he and Carl Edwards. The wrong people got hung.

SI: Is winning Daytona your most memorable moment?

Parsons: Daytona is the one I'll always remember. I didn't start driving till I was 21. It was 1963. This fella I went to the racetrack with asked me if I wanted to try driving. He just bought a car for 50 bucks and said I could have it. So I took this car, put on some new sheet metal and went to a quarter-mile dirt track. Twelve years later I'm in Victory Lane at Daytona. A lot of things happened in those 12 years.

SI: What was your pit crew like back in the day?

Parsons: A lot of them were farmers. Half of them had another job and they just did this on Sunday to help us out. We might have paid them 50 bucks. Today those guys that go across the wall are athletes. They aren't farmers. That's what it takes today. They also get paid well to a job they do well.

SI: Who is your pick to win the championship

Parsons: The cars that are really good right now are Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and the two Richard Childress cars -- Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick. Burton has not won a race this year but he's there every week with Top 5s. Jimmy Johnson does not seem to be as fast as his teammates. Kasey Khane has been so-so lately. But all in all, if I had to pick somebody, I'd pick Tony Stewart.

SI: What's your take on Danica Patrick one day appearing in NASCAR?

Parsons: Obviously, it would be one of the greatest p.r. things to happen to NASCAR. But at this point in her life, if she were to ask me and she is not going to because she does not know me, I would say stick with what you know, which is open-wheel racing. Learn to win in open-wheel racing. Win the Indy 500, win a championship, but win at open-wheel racing. Then when you want to go out and make some money and ride off into the sunset, come down to NASCAR and somebody will pay you a lot of money.

SI: There are rumblings that the Chase format could be tweaked. Do you like the current format?

Parsons: I love it the way it is, but what I would do is give more points to the winner or Top 5 of a race. Unfortunately, the problem we have with the current points system is the champion is based on consistency rather than performance. The final 10 races of the year -- the Chase for the Nascar Nextel Cup -- you can win four races, fall out of two, and the guy that finishes fifth or sixth ever race is going to beat you. I'm not sure that is the best way to crown a champion.

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Monday August 7th

The latest update from Benny Parsons & Associates

Welcome to the official website of Benny Parsons.   All information posted on this website regarding Benny, his career and his health will be either straight from the horse’s mouth or read and approved as accurate before posting.

We send out a huge, heartfelt thank you to all of Benny’s fans for visiting this site.  Please check back frequently for regular updates on Benny’s progress as he battles lung cancer. 

As of today, Benny is continuing to undergo radiation and chemotherapy treatments on a regular basis under the watchful eye of renowned doctor, Steven Limentani, Medical Oncologist.  These treatments should continue for the next three months and then he will have all testing repeated to see where he stands. 

Currently, all signs of cancer are located in his left lung.  So far there is no evidence that any cancer has spread to other parts of his body.   His medical team is very optimistic that they will see the cancer gone completely with this treatment regimen. 

Benny says he feels good but gets a little tired in the evenings.   He plans to continue to work as it is his passion and he enjoys it thoroughly.  Benny is very grateful for all the prayers, well wishes, and support of his wonderful family, friends and beloved fans.   He’s especially thankful for all the baskets of food, cookies, home made cakes and other goodies that have been sent over.  The doctors have told him to keep up his weight and he’s all over that assignment! 

You can keep up with Benny here on his website, make a comment on the Blog page, or visit goPRN.com for information on his radio show and other racing interests. 

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Monday August 7th from goPrn.com:

Benny Parsons Battling Lung Cancer

Benny Parsons is all about winning. He's the 1973 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion; a Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600 winner; and, in recent years, has emerged as one of NASCAR's leading television and radio commentators.

Now, Parsons is calling upon that winning attitude as he battles lung cancer.

Parsons, 65, had experienced difficulty breathing and, after consulting with physicians, was informed by his family doctor, Dr. Scott Moss of Charlotte, that he has the disease. His treatment regimen starts immediately.

"Needless to say this was a huge shock," said Parsons. "I've got a great deal of faith in all of my physicians, including Dr. Steven Limentani, who treated NASCAR car owner Rick Hendrick during his battle with leukemia. I'm determined to pull through this and I appreciate everyone's concerns and prayers during this time.

"The first thing everyone asks me is, 'are you a smoker?' The answer is that I smoked my last cigarette way back in 1978 and since then I've hated being around smoking. I don't even allow anyone in my foursome to smoke on the golf course."

Parsons is an analyst on NBC and TNT's coverage of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing and hosts "Fast Talk with Benny Parsons" on the Performance Racing Network. He plans to continue his duties with NBC/TNT and PRN throughout his treatment.

"Everyone I work with has been gracious and accommodating," said Parsons. "I plan to keep on talking about racing for as long as I can."

Friends and fans wishing to send words of encouragement to Parsons can do so by e-mailing him at bp@goprn.com or on a special message board at NASCAR.com.

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STATEMENT REGARDING BENNY PARSONS FROM NASCAR CHAIRMAN AND CEO BRIAN FRANCE

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 26, 2006) – NASCAR is saddened to learn about Benny Parsons’ battle with cancer. As one who has seen this battle fought head-on in my own family, I am confident that with the support of his family and the entire NASCAR community, Benny will show all of us, once again, why he is a true champion. On behalf of the France family, our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Benny.

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North Carolina Department of Transportation votes to name 5 miles of US highway 421 for racing legend Benny Parsons

On Tuesday August 1st, 2006,   Wilkes County commissioners voted unanimously to approve a resolution requesting the N.C. Department of Transportation to name a 5-mile section of U.S. 421 in honor of racing legend Benny Parsons.   A section of U.S. 421 in eastern Wilkes was named in honor of racer and team-owner Junior Johnson in May 2004.  If the latest request is approved, drivers would travel on the Junior Johnson Highway on one end of Wilkes County and the Benny Parsons Highway on the other.

Benny Parsons, a well known and much beloved native of Wilkes County, is currently building a home on site at Rendezvous Ridge and plans to take residence there as soon as it is completed.  The new house will overlook acres of grapes currently growing on the land where Benny grew up and soon those grapes will be converted into wine under the Rendezvous Ridge label.

The proposal to name a stretch of US 421 in honor of Parsons has been in the works for many months and was only coincidentally announced around the same time a press release went out stating that Parsons has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

Mary Louise Canter spearheaded the initiative to honor Benny.  A lifelong friend since their high school days, Canter feels the honor is more than justified based on Benny’s loyalty to the community through his many contributions and friendship.

Mary has worked with the Parsons family to drive the initiative but to keep it a secret from Benny so that it can be a surprise.   "We know Benny has certainly done a monumental task as far as racing is concerned and contributed much to this sport," said Zach Henderson, the chairman of the board of commissioners. "We wish Benny well."

The 5-mile section would take in a stretch of highway between the Maple Springs community and the Watauga County line.  Wilkes is putting the request on a fast track by faxing the resolution to the state in hopes that the N.C. Board of Transportation can consider it during Thursday's meeting.

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