Cup Champion 1952 and 1955
May 11, 1924 – March 31, 1998
Hometown: Fort Payne, AL
Career: 1949 – 1961
Julius Timothy “Tim” Flock was born in Fort Payne, Alabama and grew up in one of the most famous racing families of early stock car racing. His two brothers, Bob and Fonty were both NASCAR drivers, as well as his sister Ethel Flock Mobley.
Both brothers tried to discourage Tim from following in their footsteps. It was his sister Ethel and her husband who helped him get his start in racing in 1948.
In 1949, Tim, Bob, Fonty and their sister Ethel became the only four siblings to drive in the same NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
Flock won his first championship in 1952 while driving Ted Chester’s Hudson Hornet. In 33 starts, he earned eight wins and had 22 top five finishes.
In 1955, Flock won his second series title driving a Carl Kiekhaefer Chrysler. It was a record breaking season that included 18 wins, 32 top fives and 18 poles in 39 races. Flock’s 18 wins in a single season was a record that would remain unbroken until 1967 when Richard Petty captured 27 wins in one season.
Flock also won NASCAR’s only sports car race, in 1955, driving a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL.
He was one of the most colorful characters of the sport and a fan favorite. Flock competed in eight races with his pet monkey, Jocko Flocko, as a passenger in his racecar.
In May 2013, it was announced that Flock would be inducted into the 2014 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Richard Petty, an inaugural member of the Hall of Fame, cast his vote for Flock and spoke highly of his driving prowess.
“I have never in my life seen a smoother driver than what Tim was,” said Petty. “When I started along, I said look, he’s one of the guys that I want to be as good as, be as smooth as what he is. A lot of times he was in a race and you’d never know he was in it, until they threw the checkered flag and he’d won it.”
Flock died on March 31, 1998 at the age of 73. However, his wife, Frances, and son Carl, were in attendance to hear the news.
“I was very surprised and very shocked,” Frances Flock said. “I’m still just shaking all over.”
Carl Flock was ecstatic, saying, “Coming from the King, saying how smooth Daddy was, that’s a big honor.”
Accomplishments:
1952 – NASCAR Grand National Champion
1955 – NASCAR Grand National Champion
1955 – NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award
1972 – Inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame
1972 – Inducted into the State of Georgia Hall of Fame
1991 – Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
1994 – Inducted into the Charlotte Motor Speedway Court of Legends
1998 – Named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers
1999 – Inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
2006 – Inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
2010 – 2013 Nominee to the NASCAR Hall of Fame
2014 – Will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame
