Parnelli Jones, the 1963 Indianapolis 500 champion and one of the most versatile and successful drivers to have competed in 20th century American motorsports, died Tuesday in his hometown of Torrance, California, after spending the last years of his life battling Parkinson's disease. He was 90.

Born in 1933 in Texarkana, Ark., Rufus Parnell "Parnelli" Jones was a legendary driver and team owner known for competing in many types of vehicles including IndyCars.

Jones first arrived at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1961 with accolades from sprint car and late-model stock car racing. He would split Rookie of the Year honors with Bobby Marshman after a 12th-place finish. The next year, he was the first to break the 150-mph barrier in qualifying.

Hard-charging and hard-bitten, Parnelli Jones electrified the Indy crowds and became the first driver to break 150 mph before winning the Indy 500 in 1963.

Parnelli Jones, who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1963, died Tuesday in Torrance, Calif. He was 90. "The racing world has lost a great competitor and a true champion," read a statement from Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske.

Parnelli Jones raced in the Indianapolis 500 just seven times, but led 492 laps along the way, coming close to victory several times.

Parnelli Jones, center, celebrates his victory in the 1963 Indianapolis 500 in front of the Borg-Warner Trophy at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis.

I was born too late to watch Parnelli race in person, but his ability to master anything on wheels won me over. Well, that and the stories he told.