Fonty Flock: Talladega?

From day one, until the his retirement in the ’70’s, not much happened in American stock car racing that didn’t first go through Big Bill France. However, from “Smokey’s BDG in Town” comes an intriguing, and astonishing account of a rare “deal”, and one that was (kind of) off the ground when it got TO France.Smokey describes this account in his lively autobiography “The Best Da*n Garage in Town my life and adventures” It’s found in Smokey’s tribute to Fonty Flock in the chapter “50 Great Drivers and one …hole”…………Paraphrasing Smokey……………some time in the 1960’s, Fonty Flock shows up at Smokey’s shop early one morning. The two had not seen each other in awhile, and Fonty was bubbling-over happy. Fonty wants Smoke’s opinion, and the two move to the confines of Smokey’s office. All the while, Smokey can’t help but notice the under-arm-bundle of blue-prints carried by Fonty. With the office door closed, Fonty begins spreading the blue-prints on Smokey’s desk and proclaims………..”I’m building a race track……….it’ll be 2 1/2 miles long………..a monument to the Flock family………I’ve got the land………the partners………….it’s going to be the fastest race track IN THE WORLD……….I only need two race dates! Whadd-ya-think Smoke?”Smoke………”where is it?”Fonty………..”Eastabooga, Alabama”Smoke……….”where the hell is Eastabooga?”Fonty………..”it’s near Talladega”Fonty………..”France wants to see my plans………..he might be interested in a small percentage…….I’m on my way to see him right now………..What-cha-say, Smoke?”Smoke……….”get a jar of………….. BLEEEEP………”Fonty, still bubbly, returns to Smokeys a day or so later driving a brand-new, NASCAR emblazoned, Dodge station wagon (courtesy of Chrysler corp.) and informs Smokey he’s now in charge of NASCAR insurance, (a NASCAR experiment of the ’60 to rival AAA insurance)A year or so later, Fonty returns to Smokey’s driving an old Oldsmobile. He’s no longer bubbly, and relates that he no longer owns one single percent of the new race track venture……..France brought in Govenor George Wallace and General LeMay and Fonty (somehow) became the odd man out. This would be the last time Smokey ever saw Fonty Flock. Fonty died in 1972, Talladega opened in 1969.*Alabama Govenor, George Wallace’s role as an active Talladega player is corroborated in greater detail in Wendell Soctt’s “Hard Driving” biography. France was real interested in highway/interstate updates/additions, tax credits, etc. etc. things a govenor could help with.Filling in the blanks (IMO) would make for one more interesting account of the NASCAR/France saga.Anybody ever heard this one before? Whaddya y’all think?* “The Best Damn Garage in Town, my life and adventures” Smokey Yunick, 2002, Carbon Press pp 314

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