Born in Texarkana, Arkansas, Jones' family moved to Torrance, California, where he grew up (and lived in nearby Rolling Hills).

He was nicknamed Parnelli by his boyhood friend Billy Calder, who hoped that the Jones family would not discover their son was racing cars as a 17-year-old minor.

Jones dominated the first two-thirds of the race until a brake line failure slowed him, and he settled for a seventh-place finish.

Before the race, the chief steward, Harlan Fengler, told the teams that he would black-flag any cars that leaked oil on the track, warning, "Don't believe me, just try me."

At that moment, driver Eddie Sachs crashed on the oil-slickened racing surface and brought out a yellow caution flag, slowing the field.

In addition, Ford officials recognized that a victory through disqualification of Clark's biggest competitor would not be well received by the public, so they declined to protest.

Also that year, legendary vehicle fabricator Bill Stroppe built a Mercury Marauder USAC Stock car for Jones.

Jones dominated the race but dropped out with three laps to go when a small, inexpensive transmission bearing broke.

Also in 1967, as part of his stock car contract with the Lincoln-Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company, Jones drove a Mercury Cougar for Bud Moore in the second-year Trans Am series.

Stroppe suggested that Jones try his hand at off-road racing in front of a large crowd at a Christmas party in 1967.

[3] Jones and Stroppe teamed up for the 711-mile (1,144 km) Star Dust 7/11 race across the Nevada desert in early 1968.

Jones hit a dry wash at full speed, which broke the wheels and blew out the front tires.

[3] In 1968, Jones headed a super-roster of seven drivers signed by Andy Granatelli to drive STP Lotus 56 turbine cars in an unprecedented single-team assault on the Indianapolis 500.

Jones had a special car fabricated by Dick Russell via Bill Stroppe that looked like a Bronco, but had racing parts that could withstand rigorous jarring that off-road vehicles endure.

Capitalizing on his long history with Ford, Parnelli joined with Bud Moore Engineering to race in the SCCA Trans-Am Championship series.

Teamed with George Follmer, Jones finished second in the Drivers Championship to Mark Donohue driving a 1969 Penkse prepared Camaro.

Jones owned the Parnelli Formula One race team from late 1974 to early 1976, although it achieved little success.

Narrated by Bob Varsha, the film takes viewers behind the scenes of the Indianapolis 500, through the eyes and experiences of Parnelli Jones.

Parnelli Jones Enterprises was a chain of Firestone Racing Tires in 14 Western United States.