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.

Parnelli Jones, the 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner, died Tuesday at Torrance Memorial Medical Center after a battle with Parkinson’s disease, his son said. Jones was 90.

Jones dominated the Speedway action in '63, setting a qualifying record of 151.153 mph and winning the race by 33 seconds over Jimmy Clark. Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

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.

One of the greatest natural racers of all-time is gone as 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones passed away peacefully of natural causes Tuesday, June 4. He was 90 years old. The news of his passing was confirmed by his son,

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.

He was one of the greatest drivers of the 1960s and ’70s, winning six times at Indianapolis and four times in NASCAR events while setting speed marks.