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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born | (1939-11-24)November 24, 1939 (age 86) Gastonia, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Occupation | Crew chief |
| Sport | |
| Sport | NASCARSprint Cup Series |
James Kenneth "Buddy"Parrott is an AmericanNASCARcrew chief. Over 18 years, Parrott won 49 races.[1] Parrott's sonsTodd andBrad also served as crew chiefs.[2]
Parrott's career began in 1968 when he became a tire changer forHuggins Tire, aGoodyear distributor. In 1970, Parrott worked underHarry Hyde forBobby Isaac; that year Isaac won theGrand National championship. Parrott worked for Hyde's No. 71 team through 1974, then in 1975 he became the crew chief forFerrel Harris.[2]
In 1977 he was hired byDiGard Motorsports. He worked underDavid Ifft as crew chief forDarrell Waltrip. In May 1977, following victory at theWinston 500, Ifft left the team and Parrott was promoted to full-time crew chief. The combination became one of the strongest inWinston Cup racing as Waltrip and Parrott won ten races in the 1977–1978 seasons. In 1979, Waltrip finished a close second in points. After winning four races in the first half of 1980, Parrott was fired from the DiGard team; he finished the season with the Harry Ranier team and driverBuddy Baker.[2]
Parrott was hired by Charlotte medical doctor Ron Benfield as crew chief for a team he had formed for 1981. For three seasons Parrott was crew chief of Benfield's No. 98 racecars driven byJohnny Rutherford,Morgan Shepherd,Rusty Wallace andJoe Ruttman.[1] In 1984, Parrott was hired byMike Curb to beRichard Petty's crew chief. Parrott and Petty won atDover, and was chief for Petty's 200th career victory in the1984 Firecracker 400 atDaytona International Speedway.[3] In 1987 & 1988, Parrott joinedJocko's Racing and became a part-time crew chief for the No. 63 team. Maggiacomo was involved inBobby Allison's career-ending accident and parted ways with the team shortly after. In 1990 later, Parrott joinedDerrike Cope ofBob Whitcomb Racing's team, and helped him win the1990 Daytona 500.[2]
In 1992, Parrott was reunited with Wallace atPenske Racing, winning 19 races together. Three years later, he joinedDiamond Ridge Motorsports to work withSteve Grissom. However, Parrott left the team citing business disagreements with owner Gary Bechtel. In 1997, he joinedJeff Burton's crew, and helped him win the inaugural race atTexas Motor Speedway. Later that season, Parrott was fined $20,000 by NASCAR for improperly mounted roof flaps prior to theWinston 500 atTalladega.[4] In 1998, he became the team manager forMark Martin'sRoush Racing team. AtCalifornia Speedway that year, Parrott tripped over cords in the pit box, fracturing his ribs, but still celebrated Martin's victory in the1998 California 500. He remained with the team until his retirement in 2001 after 34 years of service.[2]
In 2004, Parrott was inducted into theNorth Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame.[2]