Frances Flock oral history interview, 2008 January 30
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Frances Flock, the wife of stock car driver Tim Flock, reminisces about her early life, Mr. Flock's career, and her involvement in the motorsports community. She talks about growing up in rural Atlanta, Georgia in the 1930s and 1940s, her courtship with Tim Flock, and how they married young at a justice of the peace in the middle of the night. Mrs. Flock discusses her husband's racing career, which peaked in the 1950s, including his improved fortunes while racing for Carl Kiekhaefer, how NASCAR's frequently-changing rules caused him to lose some races on technicalities, and how he was blacklisted after trying to start a union with fellow driver Curtis Turner. She also recounts her experiences as a NASCAR wife, including her friendships with other racing families, and how the racing community was very much a boys' club at the time. She describes how she and the other wives were not allowed to attend many of the racing functions and celebrations along with their husbands, but beauty queens and models were invited to the parties. The Flock family moved to the Charlotte region in 1959, and Mrs. Flock recalls how her husband worked for Bruton Smith to help raise capital for, build, and manage Charlotte Motor Speedway after his retirement from racing in 1962. Mrs. Flock concludes the interview by describing how Mr. Flock received recognition from NASCAR for his achievements by the 1990s, and how she continued to attend and speak at racing-related events after he died in 1998.
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