Potent Combination For 1947
Bob Flock, pictured left, and Red Byron, pictured right, were potent drivers for Raymond Parks. Photo courtesy Eddie Samples
Parks’ Novelty by now replaced the Seay-Hall team with one just a potent. Red Byron and Bob Flock brought a new 1-2 punch that was nearly untouchable in 1947. Both dominated the beach races, and as the season progressed, Flock was on his way to present Parks a second national championship.
Bob Flock appeared to be on his way to the 1947 national championship when he was seriously injured at Spartanburg Fairgrounds.
But luck turned sour in October when Flock had a horrific crash at the fairgrounds in Spartanburg, South Carolina. So ended his season, his championship chances and nearly his life.
Red Vogt negotiated a deal to acquire the services of Bob’s brother, Fonty, who ironically had been running second in the points with Bob Osiecki’s E&S Speed Shop Ford. Like Vogt, Osiecki was a veteran master mechanic out of Atlanta.
The younger Flock didn’t miss a beat when he climbed into Raymond’s famous number 14 Ford. Two months later, Fonty claimed the NCSCC title, Bill France, Sr.’s predecessor to NASCAR, and “Team Parks” had their second national championship.
Driving the number 14 Ford for Raymond Parks, Fonty Flock won the 1947 NSCRA championship, which one year later would become NASCAR.
The NCSCC (National Championship Stock Car Circuit) was dissolved by France for the 1948 season and reformed as NASCAR. The new year pitted Red Byron, who finished third in points driving for Parks’ Novelty in ’47, against the defending national champ, Fonty Flock.
The chameleon-like Flock left Parks at the end of the ’47 season with a lucrative deal driving the Al Dykes/Hugh Babb Ford out of Atlanta. Flock switched again mid-season to run Joe Wolfe’s Ford out of Hollywood, Pennsylvania. But same as in 1947, he never missed a beat.
This time, however, Byron overtook his former teammate in the last race to win by a mere 37 points. The freckled redhead presented Raymond Parks with his third national title.
Bill France decided to try something different in 1949. Calling it NASCAR’s Strictly Stock division, the class evolved into the Grand Nationals, then eventually the Winston Cup Series.
Driving a new “Parks” 1949 Oldsmobile 88, Red Byron beat out runner-up Lee Petty in the points title. Included was Byron’s final win at Daytona Beach, and Raymond Parks’ fourth and final national championship.
It was time to put out the torch.