Phillip Gregory Parsons (born June 21, 1957) is an American former professional stock car racing driver, team owner, and analyst for FOX NASCAR since 2003. After years racing in NASCAR Winston Cup, he returned to the Busch Series where he enjoyed modest success.

After his racing career, Parsons also embarked on a career as a racing TV commentator, providing color analysis for the Mizlou Television Network. He was also a commentator for the DirecTV NASCAR Hot Pass during Sprint Cup races. Most recently he has been a color analyst for FS1's coverage of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and, currently, the ARCA Menards Series.

Parsons was the starter for the 2007 Daytona 500, waving the green flag. In 2008, he became a part-owner of a (now former) Nationwide Series team, Phil Parsons Racing.

Beginnings Parsons began racing in the Late Model Series and the NASCAR Goody's Dash Series. When the Late Model Series became the Busch Series in 1982, Parsons joined the circuit full-time, driving the No. 28 Skoal Pontiac for Johnny Hayes. He won his first career race, at Bristol Motor Speedway, and led the championship points early in the season. He won the pole in two of the last three races of the season and finished fifth in points. The following season, he competed in a limited schedule, 22 out of 35 races, but won four poles and had twelve top-tens, finishing fifth in the points. That season, he also ran five Winston Cup races with Hayes in the No. 66, posting two top-ten finishes.

Winston Cup

In 1984, Hayes and Parsons joined the Cup Series and ran twenty-two races, posting three top-eight finishes and ended the season placing 24th in the standings, second behind Rusty Wallace for NASCAR Rookie of the Year. The same year, his Busch ride was bought by Jack Ingram and Parsons ran five races for him, and had two top-five finishes. In 1985, he ran the full season, splitting time between Jackson Bros. Motorsports and Roger Hamby's car. Despite four top-tens, he failed to finish in thirteen races, and wound up 21st in points.

In 1986, Parsons ran seventeen races, and had a best finish of fifth at Talladega. He had four more top-tens, but finished twenty-seventh in the final standings. The following season, he got his first full-time Cup ride, with the Jackson brothers, when he signed on to drive their No. 55 Oldsmobile, garnering seven top-tens and a fourteenth-place finish in the final points standings. In 1988, Parsons led 52 laps at the Winston 500 and achieved his only Cup win. He also had a career-best points finish of ninth that season. The next season, however, he only had two top-five finishes and lost his ride at the end of the season.

Parsons began 1990 driving the No. 4 car for Morgan–McClure Motorsports, but was released only three races into the season. He ran at Bristol for Jackson in a one-race deal, finishing the race in 25th, and also drove for Phil Barkdoll and Lake Speed. He made his most starts with the fledgling Diamond Ridge Motorsports, his best finish with them was a 21st at Darlington. He did not run the Cup series in 1991, but rather a handful of Busch races in his own equipment leased from Diamond Ridge. He had two top-tens, including a fourth-place finish at Darlington. After beginning 1992 with a tenth-place at the Daytona 500 with Melling Racing, he returned to Busch to run seven races, and had five top-tens.

In 1993, Parsons returned to the Cup Series, running the No. 41 Chevy for Larry Hedrick Motorsports. Despite an eighth-place finish at Rockingham Speedway, Parsons was released near the end of the season. Phil ended the 1993 season with a ninth place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway while driving for Butch Mock Motorsports.

Return to Busch Series In 1994, Parsons returned to the Busch Series on a limited schedule in a car owned by his wife Marcia. He won his second and final Busch race at the Champion 300, and finished 25th in points after running just seventeen races. He went back to full-time racing in 1995 in the No. 99 Luxaire Chevrolet for J&J Racing, posting nine top-tens and finishing eighth in points. The following season, he and Marcia returned to car owner duties with the No. 10 Channellock Chevrolet. He began the season with consecutive third-place finishes but moved down to ninth in points. The next season, he finished in the top-ten in each of the first six races of the season posted a best finish of sixth in points. He also made his final Cup start that season for SABCO Racing at Darlington, when he replaced Joe Nemechek, who was on bereavement leave (Nemechek's brother John was killed at Homestead the previous week). He finished 31st.

With sponsorship from Dura Lube in 1998, Parsons matched his 1997 points finish. Alltel joined as primary sponsors for 1999, but Parsons failed to qualify for the NAPA 200 and dropped to fifteenth in the standings. At the end of the season, he merged his team with ST Motorsports to drive the No. 59 Chevrolet, and finished twelfth in points despite just two top-tens. His last start in NASCAR competition came at Kentucky Speedway in 2001. Driving the No. 97 Curb Agajanian Performance Group car, Parsons started fifth but finished 34th after a wreck late in the race.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Winston Cup Series NASCAR Winston Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Pts Ref 1983 Johnny Hayes Racing 66 Buick DAY13 RCH CAR ATL DAR NWS MAR 43rd 458 Pontiac TAL28 NSV DOV BRI CLT RSD POC MCH DAY NSV POC TAL Chevy MCH31 BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT19 CAR ATL28 RSD 1984DAY11 RCH18 CAR ATL29 BRI13 NWS15 DAR8 MAR16 TAL7 NSV DOV CLT31 RSD POC21 MCH15 DAY13 NSV13 POC17 TAL20 MCH29 BRI26 DAR7 RCH DOV MAR20 CLT31 NWS15 CAR ATL28 RSD41 24th 2290 1985 Jackson Bros. Motorsports DAY29 ATL41 DAR8 TAL34 CLT33 POC11 MCH19 DAY27 POC8 TAL31 MCH6 DAR39 CLT27 ATL14 21st 2740 Hamby Racing 17 Chevy RCH15 CAR19 BRI28 NWS15 MAR9 DOV29 RSD33 BRI21 RCH27 DOV12 MAR20 NWS13 CAR13 RSD33 1986 Jackson Bros. Motorsports 66 Olds DAY24 ATL18 BRI TAL5 DOV CLT24 RSD POC31 MCH33 DAY9 POC37 TAL13 GLN14 MCH9 BRI DAR22 RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT10 CAR ATL10 RSD 27th 1742 Hamby Racing 17 Olds RCH29 CAR30 Jackson Bros. Motorsports 66 Pontiac DAR31 NWS MAR 1987 55 Olds DAY11 CAR11 RCH15 ATL27 DAR9 NWS7 BRI20 MAR4 TAL31 CLT8 DOV22 POC11 RSD11 MCH21 DAY15 POC39 TAL29 GLN7 MCH14 BRI19 DAR12 RCH20 DOV29 MAR16 NWS14 CLT27 CAR9 RSD13 ATL8 14th 3327 1988 DAY3 RCH30 CAR15 ATL37 DAR8 BRI22 NWS7 MAR9 TAL1 CLT8 DOV39 RSD5 POC8 MCH7 DAY3 POC31 TAL11 GLN4 MCH20 BRI19 DAR6 RCH24 DOV14 MAR21 CLT27 NWS2 CAR8 PHO9 ATL16 9th 3630 1989 DAY5 CAR39 ATL14 RCH27 DAR41 BRI23 NWSDNQ MAR13 TAL17 CLT13 DOV10 SON18 POC12 MCH15 DAY3 POC12 TAL41 GLN17 MCH33 BRI11 DAR21 RCH36 DOV13 MAR14 CLT20 NWS28 CAR24 PHO37 ATL42 21st 2933 Combs Racing 60 Chevy NWS12 1990 Morgan–McClure Motorsports 4 Olds DAY42 RCH26 CAR14 ATL DAR 39th 632 Leo Jackson Motorsports 33 Olds BRI25 NWS MAR Barkdoll Motorsports 72 Olds TAL35 CLT DOV SON POC Diamond Ridge Motorsports 29 Pontiac MCH22 DAY POC TAL41 GLN MCH BRI DAR19 RCH DOV MAR NWS Speed Racing 83 Olds CLT18 CAR PHO ATL 1991 Italian Connection 96 Chevy DAYDNQ RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL NA - 1992 Melling Racing 9 Ford DAY10 CAR30 RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 53rd 207 1993 Larry Hedrick Motorsports 41 Chevy DAY22 CAR8 RCH16 ATL39 DAR36 BRI31 NWS18 MAR20 TAL19 SON37 CLT12 DOV37 POC14 MCH13 DAY25 NHA39 POC18 TAL22 GLN33 MCH19 BRI14 DAR21 RCH20 DOV37 MAR19 NWS CLT CAR PHO 29th 2454 Butch Mock Motorsports 75 Ford ATL9 1994 J&J Racing 99 Olds DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL SON CLT DOV POC MCH DAY NHA POCDNQ TAL IND GLN 50th 243 Melling Racing 9 Ford MCH31 DAR15 RCHDNQ DOV MAR NWS36 CLTDNQ CAR PHO ATL Hagan Racing 14 Chevy BRIDNQ 1995 TriStar Motorsports 19 Ford DAY41 CARDNQ RCH ATL42 DARDNQ BRI NWS MAR TAL SON CLT DOV POC MCH DAY NHA POC TAL IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 60th 77 1997 Team SABCO 42 Chevy DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR31 TEX BRI MAR SON TAL CLT DOV POC MCH CAL DAY NHA POC IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH NHA DOV MAR CLT TAL CAR PHO ATL 62nd 70 1998 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. 1 Chevy DAY CAR LVS ATLDNQ DAR BRI TEX MAR TAL CAL CLT DOV RCH MCH POC SON NHA POC IND GLN MCH BRI NHA DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT TAL DAY PHO CAR ATL NA -

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 1983 Johnny Hayes Racing Buick 32 13 1984 Chevrolet 13 11 1985 Jackson Bros. Motorsports Chevrolet 12 29 1986 Oldsmobile 18 24 1987 19 11 1988 19 3 1989 7 5 1990 Morgan–McClure Motorsports Oldsmobile 8 42 1991 Italian Connection Chevrolet DNQ 1992 Melling Racing Ford 19 10 1993 Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet 16 22 1995 TriStar Motorsports Ford 32 41

Busch Series