Johnnie Parsons, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Johnnie Parsons

American racecar driver

Date of Birth: 04-Jul-1918

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, United States

Date of Death: 08-Sep-1984

Profession: racing automobile driver, Formula One driver

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Johnnie Woodrow Parsons (July 4, 1918 – September 8, 1984) was an American race car driver from Los Angeles, California who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1950. During his racing career, he drove for several seasons, including his AAA championship and Indianapolis 500 win, for Ed Walsh's team.
Walsh was an owner of Kurtis Kraft, the leading constructor of AAA championship cars.
Parsons was a charger, needing cars to race against, frequently moving from last on the grid to a win in spectacular displays of dirt track driving ability.
Johnnie Parsons had the dubious distinction of being the only Indianapolis 500 winner to have his name misspelled on the Borg-Warner Trophy.
The silversmith carved "Johnny" instead of "Johnnie." He had a son named Johnny who competed at Indy a dozen times.
In 1991, during a trophy restoration project, it was proposed to correct the spelling, albeit posthumously.
However, it was decided to keep the error intact, as part of the trophy's lore.