Peggy and Joy Flock, Daughters of NASCAR Hall of Famer and 2 Time Champion & Pioneer Tim Flock joined us on Racing Routes with Hamm LIVE Tuesday 5-24-22. Hear the story of Jocko Flocko, NASCAR’s first racing monkey that rode with their Dad during the races.
Also learn about their Uncles Bob and Fonty Flock who were also winning stock car racing drivers and raced with thier Dad in the 40’s and 50’s, as well as Aunt Ethel who was the second Female NASCAR Driver. Another Aunt, Reo was one of the first female wing-walkers who dazzled everyone as she waltzed across the wings of the flying planes. Lots of great family stories to come. One story is when her Dad would take the family pet Monkey “Jocko Flocko” in his race car until it cost him to lose a race. Hear that story and many more great ones in this video.
Vital Statistics
Name: Julius Timothy “Tim” Flock
Born: May 11, 1924
Died: March 31, 1998
Spouse: Frances
Children: Richard, Donald, Carl, Peggy, Joy
Hometown: Born in Ft. Payne, Alabama. Also lived in Atlanta, Georgia and Charlotte, North Carolina.
TIM FLOCK – Born on May 11, 1924 in Ft. Payne. A NASCAR pioneer and one of three racing brothers, had 40 victories in 13 years. He won the Grand National points title in 1952 and ’55. In ’55 won 18 races in 39 starts, had 32 top five finishes and 33 top ten’s. He won 19 poles in one season. He is the only driver to win at Daytona in all three NASCAR divisions (Grand National, Modified and Convertible). In 1952 was selected Driver of the Year by Speed Age Magazine. He was inducted into the Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame in ‘77 and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame ‘78. His 21.2 career winning percentage (40 wins in 189 starts) is NASCAR’s all-time best. He held five world records for the Daytona Measured Mile.
2 Time NASCAR Grand National Champion (1952, 1955)
40 NASCAR Grand National Wins
38 NASCAR Grand National Poles
The ONLY driver to win in every NASCAR division on Daytona Beach;
1955-Grand National
1956-Modified Division
1956-Grand National
1957-Convertible Division
Holds FIVE world records for the Daytona Measured Mile;
1955-February 23 – 1939 Chevrolet modified, 137.405 mph
1955-February 24 – 1955 Chrysler 300, 130.293
1956-February 23 – 1956 Chrysler 300b, 135.747
1957-February 20 – 1957 Mercury Convertible, 130.766
Speed Age Magazine Driver of the Year (1952)
1955 NASCAR Most Popular Driver
National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Hall of Fame (1972)
State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame (1972)
Hall of Honors, New Jersey (1990)
International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1991)
Charlotte Motor Speedway Court of Legends (1994)
Rotary Club of Daytona Beach Stock Car Hall of Fame (1995)
Lowe’s Motor Speedway Walk of Fame (1996)
North Carolina Motor Sports Hall of Fame (1998)
Named as one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers (1998)
Hall of Fame, Flemming NJ
Motorsports Hall of Fame of American in Novi, Michigan (1999)
Sports Illustrated’s 11th Greatest Driver of the Century (2000)
State of Georgia 30th Top Athlete of the Century (2000)
Georgia Sports Hall of Fame (2002)
Georgia Racing Hall of Fame (2002)
Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (2006)
NASCAR Hall of Fame (2014)
Other Trivia
First NASCAR Driver to win both Daytona and the series championship in the same year. (1952)
Highest winning percentage (21.2 percent — 40 victories in 189 starts) in NASCAR Nextel Cup Series history.
Holds the record for the most pole positions in a single year (19, in 1955).
Held the record for the most victories in a single year (18 in 45 races driving the Chrysler 300) for 12 years. (1955-1967)
Winner of NASCAR’s only sports car race, driving a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing. (1955)
The only driver to have an active participation record in NASCAR for 50 years.
Jocko Flocko was a Rhesus monkey and remains the only known “co-driver” in NASCAR history. On May 16, 1953, Jocko helped Tim win the Grand National race at Hickory, N.C. – becoming the only winning monkey to date. Unfortunately, Jocko was forced to retire from “driving” duties two weeks later in Raleigh, N.C. Tim Flock recalls the incident:
“I actually raced with a monkey, which I named Jocko Flocko, for eight races in 1953. It started as a publicity stunt, and we gave him his own driving uniform and a specially designed seat.”
Ned Jarrett “Tim Flock was one of the early day superstars in our sport. He had a great personality and was a great race driver along with it. He was a showman, did the things that he needed to do to get uplifting not only for himself but for the sport. He was very good for the sport of auto racing and besides that he could drive a racecar too”
Tom Higgins “Outgoing, fun loving, Tim Flock never met a stranger. Tim would set up his car, sell tickets and tell stories”