|| *Comments on the 1953 Raleigh 300:* View the most recent comment <#12> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. DTroppens posted: 09.30.2006 - 4:52 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) From Greg Fielden's 40 Years of Stock Car Racing Volume 1 Tim Flock's riding companion in this race was a monkey named Jocko Flocko. He broke loose during the race from his specially designed seat and he scrambled around the cockpit in the car. Flock had to make an extra pit stop late in the race to get Jocko out of the car. It cost him second-place money, as he fell to third. 2. Garrett48fan posted: 04.09.2007 - 3:13 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) "The pit stop cost me second place and a $600.00 difference in my paycheck. Jocko was retired immediately. I had to get that monkey off my back!" --Tim Flock (after the incident) 3. SK posted: 06.25.2007 - 11:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Fonty Flock wins the race after starting 43rd, the last time such a feat has been accomplished (as of 6/25/2007). 4. Billy Kingsley posted: 08.18.2008 - 4:24 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) What actually happened was Jocko chewed through his seatbelt, ended up on the floor of the car and opened the tire inspection panel (at the time, a hole was cut into the floor so the driver could pull a cord and look at the tire to see if it was wearing). A rock came in, pelted Jocko upside his head, and he went crazy, apparently attacking Tim Flock. He had to pit to remove Jocko, and, paraphrased from his own words- "Became the first man ever to loose a race to remove a monkey!" Jocko died several weeks later, it would seem the excitement was too much for his monkey-heart to handle, unfortunatly. Jocko was not approved by NASCAR, and was smuggled into the car at the start of his first race. It apparently caused quite a stir when Tim would pass someone and they would look over and see a monkey waving back, clad in tiny driver's suit and helmet! Since he had run in one race, NASCAR decided they would let him run again! He was quite popular with the fans. While the most famous of co-pilots, Jocko was not the only (the only winning co-pilot, he remains!) In the formative years of the sport of auto racing, a driver who'se name I cannot recall drove with his Jack Russel Terrier in the race, and Junior Johnson, as a promotion with then-sponsor Holly Farms, took a chicken into the car. It apparently did not work well as the chicken became quite scared and apparently went nuts! I do not know if this occured in a points paying race or some sort of exhibition, however. 5. Ambrose_fan posted: 09.15.2008 - 1:59 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Wow, that stuff about the animals is bizzare! Really would've been something to see... 6. hyltonfan08 posted: 01.23.2009 - 3:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sponsors: 14-Fonty Flock: Red Vogt Special 21-Glen Wood: R.L.L.R.B. Bowling 7. RaceFanX posted: 07.23.2009 - 11:25 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First Cup race at Raleigh Speedway, the tour's second paved superspeedway after Darlington 8. awesomegordonfan posted: 11.06.2010 - 7:49 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) SK, many drivers have started 43rd and won...Kenseth in the '09 Daytona 500 that Sadler should've won, for instance. It's happened maybe a dozen times, maybe 8 or 9 after this... I don't remember. All I know is, if you're thinking of '98, you're absolutely right, the worst starting spot for a winner was 21st at the finale at Atlanta, by Jeff Gordon. 9. Cooper posted: 04.11.2011 - 10:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Just to clarify awesomegordonfan is incorrect. Matt Kenseth started 39th by his results in the gatorade duel. What awesomegordonfan is talking about is drivers who have to start at the rear of the field because of an unapproved change. That's been done multiple times, but their qualifying results is what classifies their starting position not where they actually start the race. SK is correct. Johnny Mantz and Fonty Flock hold the record for worst starting position by a winner. 43rd. 10. Spen posted: 05.22.2012 - 5:26 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) And Gordon thinks his luck's been bad this year. This was Jim Paschal's first top twenty finish of the season. When you consider the usual number of cars per race, that's just sad. 11. 83andJoe posted: 02.26.2013 - 12:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The #16's owner is John Ray (i.e., the driver), not Johnny Ray. Johnny Ray would have been 16 at the time of the race; it's doubtful he would have been listed as the owner (and also doubtful he's even related to the John Ray here). 12. MSportRev posted: 09.16.2019 - 8:27 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Margin of Victory: 2 laps + ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: