NASCAR's No. 14 history goes beyond Stewart, Foyt

Tony Stewart's decision to choose the No. 14 for the 2009 Sprint Cup season not only pays tribute to his hero, A.J. Foyt, but another famous NASCAR racing family whose last name also started with the letter "F."

Beginning with the 1951 rain-shortened 150-miler at Occoneechee Speedway in Hillsborough, N.C., Truman Fontell "Fonty" Flock won 14 races in the No. 14.

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The second of four racing siblings -- including brothers Bob and Tim, and sister Ethel Mobley, who made two starts during the 1949 season -- Fonty's racing career nearly came to a premature end because of two life-changing events. He suffered severe injuries in a rollover accident during a race at the Daytona beach course in July of 1941. And after the United States entered World War II, Flock enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps.

Fonty had been out of racing for several years when older brother Bob suggested that car owner Ed Schenck put him in the seat for the inaugural race at the new North Wilkesboro Speedway. Fonty won the pole, his heat race and the 30-lap feature. When Bob suffered a broken back later in the season, Fonty took over the ride and won the national championship.

He followed that with the 1949 NASCAR Modified crown -- and posted three top-10 finishes in three Strictly Stock events that year.

Starting with the 1951 season, in which he won eight times and was runner-up to champion Herb Thomas, Flock finished no worse than fifth in the standings over the next three years, even though by that time, he had found a steadier way to make a living -- as an insurance salesman.

In 1952, Fonty dominated the Southern 500 at Darlington, leading 341 laps -- including the final 215 -- in Frank Christian's Air Lift Special Oldsmobile.

Flock's last victory in the No. 14 came in 1955 at Columbia, S.C. His final NASCAR win came a year later at Charlotte Speedway. He retired from the sport in 1957 and died in 1972.

Other drivers who have won races in the No. 14 include Oregon's Hershel McGriff, who filled in for Flock during the 1954 season; Jim Paschal, who won seven times between 1961-67; and Bobby Allison, who posted the last victory for the No. 14 at the half-mile Montgomery Speedway in 1969.

Tennessee's Coo Coo Marlin -- father of Sterling -- ran the No. 14 for many years. Unfortunately, his short-track success never resulted in a victory in a NASCAR points-paying race. Starting in 2006, Sterling used the numeral for 57 races until released by Bobby Ginn's operation. His best finish was ninth at Richmond in 2006.

Foyt won seven NASCAR races, but never in the No. 14. In fact, he didn't start using the No. 14 on his stock cars until the 1983 Daytona 500, and his only top-five finish with that numeral came at Talladega in 1985.

However, Stewart will continue a tradition of Indianapolis 500 starters who have driven the No. 14 in NASCAR. Starting with Troy Ruttman -- who won the 500 in 1952 -- no fewer than 11 drivers can claim that feat. Allison and LeeRoy Yarbrough were exclusively stock-car drivers who crossed over to the Brickyard in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

14 is for Foyt

Tony Stewart made official his car plans for the Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet for 2009, and his number will honor his hero.

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Jim McElreath and Jerry Grant raced in several different forms of motorsports, as did Dave MacDonald, who had a sports-car background. Robby Gordon, who drove A.J.'s No. 14 at Indy, drove a No. 14 stock car for Dale Earnhardt Inc. in the Coca-Cola 600 in 1996.

In addition, several prominent racing families -- all Indy 500 winners -- are part of the No. 14 heritage: John Andretti (nephew of Mario), P.J. Jones (son of Parnelli) and Larry Foyt (son of A.J.).

So how did Super Tex come to use the No. 14 in the first place? Wilbur Shaw, Bill Vukovich and Tony Bettenhausen had success with the numeral well before Foyt came on the scene. He used it for the first time at Sacramento in 1962 -- and won.

After a dismal 1966 season in which he failed to win a race, he tried the No. 14 the next season and won Indy for the third time. He returned to the No. 14 for good in 1973, and his fourth Indy 500 victory came in 1977. Kenny Brack won the 1999 Indianapolis 500, driving for Foyt, taking the lead on the final lap when Gordon ran out of fuel.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.