He was universally regarded as NASCAR's uncrowned champion. He announced his retirement from a hospital bed.ĭuring his career in Strictly Stock competition, Flock compiled enviable numbers. It was the final NASCAR start for Fonty Flock. Split seconds later, Bobby Myers and Paul Goldsmith smashed full-bore into the idle Flock. On the 28th lap, the car escaped his control and spun at the entrance of turn three. Having won the event in 1952, Flock jumped at the chance, but Darlington's fickle blacktop held a trump card.įlock wrestled with the ill-handling car for the first few laps. With the eighth annual Southern 500 coming up on Labor Day 1957, Herb Thomas asked Flock to drive his Pontiac in the race. He won one of seven starts in 1956 and remained inactive most of the 1957 season. Always humorous and witty, he conducted himself admirably and helped NASCAR. Known as Fonty, he was intelligent, well-spoken, and one of the few drivers of the late 1940s who felt at ease with the media. Truman Fontello Flock was more than an accomplished throttle stomper. After the 1955 season, Flock only competed in selected events. Fonty Flock was a cornerstone of the folklore of NASCAR 's early years. Indeed, the beach was thrilling that February in 1957. Owens received the Harley Earl, Sports Illustrated, Cannonball Baker and Pure Oil trophies, plus the winner's purse of 4,250. He returned to NASCAR in 1955 and won three races. Johnny Beauchamp of Harlan, Iowa, took second place in a Chevy, and Fonty Flock came in third in a Mercury. At season's end, Fonty ranked fourth in the NASCAR Grand National standings.įonty quit NASCAR early in the 1954 season and campaigned in a Midwestern stock car series. A victory at Darlington pushed him back into the top five in points. With his arm still in a sling, Fonty drove the next race one handed in Macon, Ga., and miraculously finished second. When Flock had to relinquish the seat to Smith, he only earned a fraction of the points for the duo's seventh-place finish. Under NASCAR's points system, relief drivers earned points based on the amount of laps driven. He was unable to start the following week at Columbia, S.C., and had to have relief help from Jack Smith at Atlanta. He took the lead just before halfway in the race. Winning eight races and 12 poles, Flock took a close second to Herb Thomas in the 1951 Grand National title chase.įlock was leading the points standings and on pace to capture the 1952 NASCAR Grand National championship until he broke his shoulder in a crash at Martinsville. Fonty Flock, wearing Bermuda short pants and a short-sleeve shirt, won the third annual Southern 500 at Darlington in 1952. Flock scored his first NASCAR Grand National win in 1950 at Langhorne Speedway, then enjoyed his finest season in 1951. He finished fifth in the inaugural Strictly Stock standings. When the new Strictly Stock Late Model tour became part of NASCAR's traveling show in 1949, Flock was again one of the central figures. During the first three years France conducted Modified races, Flock won 34 races in a few more than 100 starts. He finished second in the 1948 NASCAR standings and won the 1949 Modified title. Fonty was crowned the champion of the 1947 National Championship Stock Car Circuit, the forerunner to NASCAR.
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