密歇根新闻广播 从出租车司机到赛车手 Benny Parsons的非凡人生

If you live anywhere near Brooklyn, Michigan, you're probably seeing a lot more RV traffic.

It's race weekend at the Michigan International Speedway and NASCAR's top drivers will be in town racing¹ for the Firekeepers Casino 400.

In honor of the big race, we take the time to tell the story of one of the sport's all-time great drivers and personalities²: Benny Parsons.

In an unlikely underdog story, Parsons went from a Detroit taxi driver to a NASCAR champion before lung cancer claimed his life in 2007.

Michigan native and long-time NASCAR reporter Matt Yocum, who will be covering the Firekeepers Casino 400 this weekend for Fox Sports, joined Stateside to tell the story of a man simply known as Benny.

Where Parsons grew up, in North Carolina, auto³ racing is king. When he moved to Detroit after high school, he was a taxi driver for his dad's business, the Metropolitan⁴ Cab Company (which still exists today) and in a scene right out of a movie, got his break in auto racing.

While working at a local gas station, a tow truck hauling a race car, came in to fill up. One thing led to another and the driver of the truck invited Parsons to come to a local short track to take in a race. As the story goes, the regular driver didn't show up and Parsons was thrown into the drivers seat for the race.

A few years later, at the age of 22, he broke into NASCAR and began a career that would include 21 wins, highlighted by a dramatic win at the 1975 Daytona 500. While the Daytona 500 is considered the pinnacle⁵ race of the sport, the way that he won the 1973 NASCAR championship (then known as the Winston Cup) may have been the best example of how much he was loved and respected by his peers.

On the final race of the season in Rockingham, North Carolina—just miles away from his home—Parsons just needed to complete a little over 300 laps in the race to earn enough points to win the title.

That title was in jeopardy⁶ when he crashed early in the race.

In a series of events that the sport will likely never see again, rival pit crews and teams rallied together to fix Parsons' car by stripping parts from another team's car, to get him back on the track so he could win the championship.

In 1988, Benny Parsons told the story of his dramatic championship win in the final race of 1973.

According to Yocum, Parsons was one of the most beloved personalities in the sport and that translated well after his retirement⁷ in 1988 as he made the smooth transition into the broadcast booth where he was an award-winning commentator⁸ for multiple networks.

"He helped change television," said Yocum. "When Benny came in, he had (a) little bit of a southern drawl and he had his personality. Whether it was his shtick of 'Buffet⁹ Benny' talking about the different restaurants in the area ... but his personality really warmed up the TV audience."

1 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

2 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

3 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

4 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

5 pinnacle   

n.尖塔，尖顶，山峰；(喻)顶峰

参考例句：

• Now he is at the very pinnacle of his career.现在他正值事业中的顶峰时期。
• It represents the pinnacle of intellectual capability.它代表了智能的顶峰。

6 jeopardy   

n.危险；危难

参考例句：

• His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
• It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻，上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。

7 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

8 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

9 buffet   

n.自助餐；饮食柜台；餐台

参考例句：

• Are you having a sit-down meal or a buffet at the wedding?你想在婚礼中摆桌宴还是搞自助餐？
• Could you tell me what specialties you have for the buffet?你能告诉我你们的自助餐有什么特色菜吗？