American racing legend Parnelli Jones passes away aged 90

Parnelli Jones, widely regarded as one of the greatest American motorsport icons, has passed away at the age of 90 peacefully in his home.

Born on August 12, 1933, Jones was the oldest living Indianapolis 500 winner still alive, having won the historical event in 1963.

According to the Autosport website, in the 1950s, Jones raced NASCAR's late model series on the West Coast, winning 15 times. In 1960, he was able to win the Midwest Sprint title, eventually leading him to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

In his first edition of the Indy 500, Jones won the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year in 1961, having led the race for 27 laps and finishing 12^th after qualifying fifth.

The year after winning Rookie of the Year, Jones made history by becoming the first person in Indy500 history to qualify over the 150mph mark, hitting a speed of 150.370mph. Despite leading for 120 laps, his brake issues derailed him to seventh.

In 1963, he finally got over the line as the winner, leading the race for 167 laps. Later in the year, he won the Pikes Peak Hill Climb driving a Mercury Marauder built by legendary fabricator Bill Stroppe, breaking the speed record in a stock car.

In 1967, Jones started off-road racing, winning the Baha 1000 in 1971 and 1972. He also featured in 34 NASCAR Cup Series races, securing four victories.

The Motorsport website reports that Jones created a racing team with Velko "Vel" Miletich to form Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing. The team won the Indy500 in 1970 and 1971, with driver Al Unser Sr. at the wheel.

As a successful team owner, Jones dabbled in Formula One in the mid-1970s, securing the services of Mario Andretti. In the 1975 Formula One season, his team ran 12 of the 16 races, with their best finish being fourth at the Swedish Grand Prix.

After one of the most successful racing careers in history, Jones was inducted into the International Motorsport Hall of Fame in 1990, the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1991, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 1985.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!