Former Nascar champion Benny Parsons, a fearless driver who followed his racing career working as a popular radio and television commentator, died Tuesday.

Parsons, 65, died at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C., following complications from lung cancer, said Nascar officials.

The winner of the 1973 Nascar championship and 1975 Daytona 500, Parsons's career spanned more than two decades. He won 21 times during his 526-race Nascar career.

A native of rural North Carolina, Parsons became a Nascar analyst when his racing career ended in 1988.