John Woodrow "Johnnie" Parsons (July 4, 1918 – September 8, 1984) was an American racing driver in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series.

Parsons was known as a "charger" - needing others to compete against in order to bring out the best in him as a driver - frequently moving from near the back of the grid to the front in spectacular displays of driving ability.

By the age of three, Parsons was a participant in his family's song-and-dance act, working vaudeville theaters of the Orpheum Circuit.

[1][3] Parsons' parents separated in the mid-1920s, after which he went to live with his uncle, Jack Bridges, who owned a garage in Los Angeles.

[2] Among those who leased space from Bridges included local legend dirt track driver Fred Lecklider, rising star Frank Lockhart, and Ralph DePalma, winner of the 1915 Indianapolis 500.

Exposure to these drivers coupled with the experiences attending his first races at the Legion Ascot Speedway during the late 1920s inspired Parsons to aspire to a driving career for himself.

[1] Parsons was heavily influenced by drivers such as Bob Swanson - a two-time winner of the Turkey Night Grand Prix - who were also skilled mechanics.

Parsons, determined to emulate the career of Swanson, learned to weld and work on cars, becoming multi-talented within the sport.

[1] During junior high school he began working for some of the local drivers who had cars stored at his uncle's garage.

By the time of his graduation from Polytechnic High School, he had worked for drivers such as Curly Wetteroth and Kelly Petillo.

In 1942, Parsons won the UMA championship, winning 18 races during the season, which was interrupted by the Second World War.