Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2008
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 3B
Down the Stretch
Flock won first rainy race back in 1956
A fter reading several of
the reports and opin
ions about Saturday’s
Nationwide series race in
Montreal, which was run as a
steady rain fell, one supposed
“fact” was stated several times.
The offending item was the
notion that Saturday’s event was
the first ever NASCAR race run
in the rain.
That’s because it’s a glaring
error.
The first NASCAR event run
in the rain, as far as I can find in
my records, occurred on August
12, 1956, when Tim Flock won
a 258-mile event on the Road
America road course at Elkhart
Lake, WI.
For many reasons, this is not a
race that should be glossed over
by the PR machine that always
seems to be working on a “revi
sionist history” of NASCAR.
The story starts in 1955.
After a year’s absence from
NASCAR, Tim Flock returned
to the track driving a lightning
fast Chrysler 300 owned by
Wisconsin millionaire Carl
Kiekhaefer.
Kiekhaefer made his money
with an outboard motor com
pany, and felt a winning race
team would help pro
mote his product. He
poured thousands into
his team to make it
the best.
With Flock behind
the wheel, the
Kiekhaefer team
won its first race at
Daytona, and eventu
ally won 18 out of 39
races that year, along
with the 1955 points champion
ship. Eleven of those wins came
from the pole, and 11 times
Flock led every lap en route to
the win.
The team looked equally
unstoppable in 1956. With
Buck Baker
onboard
as a team
mate, Flock
started out
with wins at
Hickory and
his second
straight win
at Daytona.
But behind
the scenes,
Flock was
miserable.
Kiekhaefer was a stern task
master, and a man used to get
ting his own way. If the team
didn’t perform to his expecta
tions, there was absolute hell to
pay. This took its toll on Flock.
He battled stomach ulcers. He
couldn’t sleep at night. He lost
weight.
Following a big win in April at
North Wilkesboro, Flock finally
had enough and quit the team.
Flock became persona non-
gratis to Kiekhaefer, who hired
Herb Thomas to fill Flock’s seat.
Flock, meanwhile, began mov
ing from ride to ride, eventually
taking a one-shot ride for Bill
Stroppe’s Mercury team for the
event at Road America.
Kiekhaefer unloaded his
team cars at Elkhart
Lake with pride. He
intended to show
his home state how
accomplished his team
was. Two of his cars,
piloted by Baker and
Speedy Thompson,
started in the top five.
Rain plagued the
start of the event. With
windshield wipers
flapping, NASCAR’s top divi
sion took their first laps around
the 4-mile road course as the
rain continued to fall.
After starting sixth, Flock
dropped back in the pack to
see how the cars and drivers
would acclimate themselves to
the new track and wet condi
tions. Meanwhile, Baker and
Thompson set the pace up front.
As the race wound on,
Flock worked his way back
to the front, and trailed only
Thompson with ten laps to go.
That was when Flock got his
revenge. Thompson’s engine
came apart, handing Flock the
lead and the victory.
It was the 39th win of his
career. More importantly, he
beat Carl Kiekhaefer’s best to
do it.
“To come up here in
Kiekhaefer’s back yard and win
this race is special to me,” Tim
said. “This was one he wanted
badly, and I won it!”
It marked the beginning of
the end of racing for both men.
For Flock, he only ran 19 more
Grand National events in his
career before hanging up his
helmet in 1961.
Kiekhaefer won seven more
races and the championship that
year after the embarrassment at
Elkhart Lake.
But the crowds booed his cars
for winning so much, and he left
the sport for good at the end of
1956.
Saturday was indeed an
extraordinary moment in
NASCAR, with drivers facing
torrential downpours on the
Montreal road course.
But despite what any PR per
son might tell you, it was not
the first time it had happened.
That distinction belongs to
1956 at Road America, and that
win, with the sweet revenge it
brought, belongs to Tim Flock.
That’s something that nobody
should be allowed to gloss over.
Brandon Reed is a reporter for
Mainstreet Newspapers. E-mail
comments about this column to
brandon@mainstreetnews.com.
“This took its
toll on Flock. He
battled stom
ach ulcers. He
couldn’t sleep
at night. He lost
weight....”
brandon
reed
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WINNER'S CELEBRATION
Commerce's Ty Lowe, seen here with friends and family in victory lane, picked up the Crate Late
Model division win Friday night at Lavonia Speedway. Photo by Joe Kline
Racing... continued from page JB
Several NASCAR Sprint Cup teams tested at Road
Atlanta in Braselton to get ready for this weekend’s Cup
event at Watkins Glen, N.Y.
As many as 12 teams were reported to have tested on
the legendary road course, including the teams of Kurt
Busch, Bobby Labonte, Kasey Kahne, Marcos Ambrose
and Boris Said, as well as members of Hendrick
Motorsports.
Area Racing
Potts earns win on Asphalt Series tour
Jefferson’s Nick Potts has been a
longtime competitor in the Georgia
Asphalt Series tour. He’s known as
one of the most dedicated racers
on the tour, but had not picked up
a win in the tour’s history.
That is, until Saturday night,
when Potts held off hard charg
ing rookie Max Gresham and vet
eran racer Ronnie Sanders for his
first GAS victory at Watermelon
Capital Speedway in Cordele.
“This is what it’s all about,” said
Potts in victory lane. “I want to
thank my wife for her support and
my crew chief Josh McCoy. Josh
is on to something to make this car
so good.”
GAS series rookie of the year
contender T.J. Reaid turned in the
fastest lap for the pole award, but
a qualifying draw put Potts in the
top position for the start of the
race.
Potts took the lead on the drop
of the green flag, with Gresham
and Sanders giving chase. Sanders
made his way around Gresham,
and then passed Potts for the lead
on lap 13. Three laps later, a spin
by Steven Bloodworth on the
backstretch brought out the only
caution of the night.
Potts stormed back past Sanders
on the restart, and never looked
back, holding off all comers for
the victory.
“I knew it was going to be
tough to get back around Ronnie
(Sanders) because he is a tough
competitor,” said Potts. “His tires
seemed to be getting hot and I took
advantage of that.”
Rounding out the top five were
Gresham, Sanders, Dacula’s
Russell Fleeman and current GAS
series points leader Ryan Sieg.
Potts’ victory marks the seventh
different winner in eight races
for the GAS series this season.
The tour travels to New Senoia
Speedway on Aug. 16 before
returning to Peach State Speedway
on Aug. 30.
From racing to high school sports to action at the recreation field...
The Banks County News has it covered
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