Ethel Mobley

Ethel Mobley
Born March 8, 1920
Fort Payne, Alabama, United States
Died June 26, 1984 (aged 64)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career
2 races run over 1 year
Best finish 52nd (1949)
First race 1949 NASCAR's second race (Daytona Beach)
Last race 1949 (Langhorne)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
Statistics current as of February 20, 2013.

Ethel Mobley (née Flock) (March 8, 1920 – June 26, 1984) of Fort Payne, Alabama was tied for the second female to drive in NASCAR history. Her brother Tim Flock said she was named after the gasoline her father used in his car.[1][2]

"Flying Flocks"

Part of the racing Flock family,[3] three of her brothers are considered to be NASCAR pioneers: Tim Flock, Fonty Flock and Bob Flock.[4] She was married to Charlie Mobley, who fielded Tim's car in NASCAR's modified series.[2]

Racing career

She raced in over 100 NASCAR Modified events in her career.[2]

She had two Strictly Stock (now Sprint Cup) starts.[5] She raced against her brothers at NASCAR's second event ever on July 10, 1949 at the Daytona Beach Road Course.[5] The event was the first to feature a brother and a sister, and the only NASCAR event to feature four siblings. Ethel beat Fonty and Bob by finishing eleventh (her career high), and Tim finished second. She made her only other career Cup start at Langley Speedway and finished 44th.[5] Both events featured three female drivers (Sara Christian and Louise Smith).[5]

In June, 1949, she entered a racing competition in Florida, competing against 57 men drivers. She finished in 8th place.[6]

On August 7, 1949, Ethel Mobley became the first female racecar driver to compete against men in the state of Georgia when she entered a race at Central City Park Speedway in Macon, Georgia. She was rated as the top woman driver in the southeastern United States,[7] having won many competitions in all-women races.[7]

References

  1. ↑ White, Rex; Anne B. Jones; Rick Minter (2004). Gold thunder: autobiography of a NASCAR champion. McFarland. pp. 32–33. ISBN 0-7864-1975-X. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 ; The Daily Star; August 2, 2003; Retrieved May 2, 2006, inaccessible February 9, 2008
  3. ↑ Tim Flock Image Gallery, timflock.com; Retrieved February 8, 2008
  4. ↑ Gillepsie, Tom (March 31, 2012). "Flock was best known for wins, sense of adventure". Hickory Daily Record. Hickory, NC. Retrieved 2012-04-12.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Early Pioneer's; decadesofracing.net; Retrieved May 2, 2006
  6. ↑ "Woman Driver Enters Races". The Macon Telegraph. August 1949.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Stock Car Event Draws Large Field; Woman Driver To Battle Men". The Macon Telegraph & News. August 7, 1949.

External links