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Walter Ballard

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Walter Ballard
BornWalter Harvey Ballard Sr.
(1933-01-12)January 12, 1933
Foley, Alabama, U.S.
DiedOctober 26, 2024(2024-10-26) (aged 91)
Kingwood, Texas, U.S.
Awards1971 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Cup Series career
176 races run over 9 years
Best finish6th (1972)
First race1966 Rebel 400 (Darlington)
Last race1977 Wilkes 400 (North Wilkesboro)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 34 0

Walter Harvey Ballard Sr. (January 12, 1933 – October 26, 2024) was an American NASCAR driver from Houston, Texas. In 1971, he won the Rookie of the Year Award in the NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National Series (known as the NASCAR Cup Series as of 2021), in its first year under Winston's sponsorship.

NASCAR Winston Cup Series

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Ballard made his first start in the Winston Cup Series — then known as the Grand National Series — in 1966, but did not race in the series again until 1971.

In 1971, Ballard ran a nearly-full season in a car owned by his father, Vic,[citation needed] capturing 11 top-tens, a tenth-place finish in points, and the Rookie of the Year Award.[1]

In the 1972 Daytona 500, Ballard's car flipped in the race. On lap 19 of the race, his car ramped over Buddy Baker's car on the front stretch wall and flipped over where it flipped another two times in the grass before landing on all four wheels. Ballard and Baker were both unscathed.[2] Despite the flip, Ballard had an even better season in 1972, collecting seven top-tens and a sixth-place finish in points. He continued to race full-time with his family-owned team until 1975, and competed part-time in the 1976 and 1977 seasons before retiring from the series after 1977.

Ballard's best result in the Winston Cup Series was a third-place finish in the 1971 Space City 300 at Meyer Speedway in Houston, Texas.

Other NASCAR series

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Ballard also drove six races in the NASCAR Grand National East Series from 1972–1973, collecting one top-ten in 1972,[3] and attempted two races in the NASCAR Winston West Series in 1971 and 1976, failing to qualify for both.[4]

Personal life and death

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In 1979, Ballard started an automotive repair business with his sons Daniel, Stoney and Clint, retiring in November 2005.[citation needed] As of 2007, he resided in Charlotte, North Carolina. His wife Katy died in 2019.[5]

Ballard died in Kingwood, Texas, on October 26, 2024, at the age of 91.[6]

Motorsports Career Results

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NASCAR

[edit]

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Grand National Series

[edit]
NASCAR Grand National Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 NGNC Pts Ref
1966 Ballard Racing 30 Ford AUG RSD DAY DAY DAY CAR BRI ATL HCY CLB GPS BGS NWS MAR DAR
20
LGY MGR MON RCH CLT DTS ASH PIF SMR AWS BLV GPS DAY ODS BRR OXF FON ISP BRI SMR NSV ATL CLB AWS BLV BGS DAR HCY RCH HBO MAR NWS CLT CAR 84th 560 [7]
1971 RSD DAY DAY
23
DAY
DNQ
ONT
DNQ
RCH
30
CAR HCY BRI
25
ATL
39
CLB
13
GPS
11
SMR
12
NWS
17
MAR
25
DAR
16
SBO
4
TAL
22
ASH
13
KPT
7
CLT
40
DOV
10
MCH
17
RSD HOU
3
GPS
5
DAY
32
BRI
11
AST
13
ISP
10
TRN
12
NSV
6
ATL
18
BGS
10
ONA
8
MCH
20
TAL
22
CLB
8
HCY
21
DAR
29
MAR
16
CLT
20
DOV
9
CAR
22
MGR
12
RCH
11
NWS
13
TWS
39
10th 2633 [8]

Winston Cup Series

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NASCAR Grand National Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 NWCC Pts Ref
1972 Ballard Racing 30 Ford RSD
14
DAY
36
CAR
DNQ
ATL
26
BRI
11
6th 6781.45 [9]
Plymouth RCH
21
ONT
47
Joe Phipps 65 Chevy CAR
32
Ballard Racing 30 Mercury DAR
18
NWS
9
MAR
9
TAL
19
CLT
15
DOV
16
MCH
12
RSD
25
TWS
33
DAY
23
BRI
9
TRN
10
ATL
10
TAL
15
MCH
11
NSV
9
DAR
12
RCH
12
DOV
8
MAR
20
NWS
19
CLT
19
CAR
15
TWS
18
1973 Plymouth RSD
19
8th 5955.7 [10]
Chevy DAY
19
Mercury RCH
11
CAR
39
BRI
17
ATL
14
NWS
18
DAR
25
MAR
8
TAL
48
NSV
22
CLT
18
DOV
28
TWS
16
RSD
15
MCH
30
DAY
26
BRI
14
ATL
15
TAL
9
NSV
7
DAR
17
RCH
6
DOV
17
NWS
13
MAR
18
CLT
23
CAR
22
1974 Chevy RSD DAY
10
RCH
19
CAR
6
BRI
14
ATL DAR
40
NWS
12
MAR
11
TAL
24
NSV
21
DOV
22
CLT
12
RSD MCH
35
DAY
20
BRI
10
NSV
26
ATL
13
TAL
48
MCH
24
DAR
16
RCH
5
DOV
10
NWS
9
MAR
25
CLT
12
CAR
15
ONT
16
15th 748.44 [11]
Ed Hawks 75 Chevy POC
29
1975 Ballard Racing 30 Chevy RSD
31
DAY
25
CAR
17
BRI
18
ATL
24
NWS
10
DAR
18
MAR
15
TAL
12
NSV
10
DOV
25
CLT
10
RSD
24
MCH
11
NSV
18
TAL
48
MCH
11
DAR
25
DOV
14
NWS
25
MAR
14
CLT
41
RCH
15
CAR
11
BRI
12
ATL
17
ONT
20
11th 3151 [12]
Champion Racing 10 Ford RCH
19
Tom Williams 38 Chevy DAY
31
Dalton Racing 7 Ford POC
13
1976 Ballard Racing 30 Chevy RSD DAY CAR
25
RCH
14
BRI
19
NWS
10
DAR MAR
9
TAL NSV
8
DOV
16
ONT
DNQ
26th 1554 [13]
29 ATL
24
Hollar Racing CLT
22
RSD MCH
31
DAY NSV
Negre Racing 82 Dodge POC
37
TAL MCH
Price Racing 45 Chevy BRI
26
DAR RCH
22
DOV
16
MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL
1977 Ballard Racing 03 Chevy RSD DAY
19
55th 318 [14]
Price Racing 45 Chevy RCH
22
CAR ATL NWS DAR BRI MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR
Ballard Racing 30 Chevy NWS
16
CLT CAR ATL ONT
1978 RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR
QL
TAL DOV CLT NSV RSD MCH DAY NA - [15]
Hylton Motorsports 48 Chevy NSV
30
POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT
– Replaced by Tighe Scott

References

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  1. ^ "Walter Ballard Named Top NASCAR Rookie". Lakeland Ledger. October 21, 1971. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  2. ^ "Walter Ballard goes for a wild ride during the 1972 Daytona 500".
  3. ^ "Driver Walter Ballard's Grand National East Series races - Racing-Reference.info". www.racing-reference.info. Retrieved 2018-10-03.
  4. ^ "Driver Walter Ballard NASCAR K&N Pro Series West DNQs or WDs - Racing-Reference.info". www.racing-reference.info. Retrieved 2018-10-03.
  5. ^ "Katy Ballard - View Obituary & Service Information".
  6. ^ "Walter Harvey Ballard Sr". Dignity Memorial.
  7. ^ "Walter Ballard – 1966 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  8. ^ "Walter Ballard – 1971 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  9. ^ "Walter Ballard – 1972 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  10. ^ "Walter Ballard – 1973 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  11. ^ "Walter Ballard – 1974 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  12. ^ "Walter Ballard – 1975 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  13. ^ "Walter Ballard – 1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  14. ^ "Walter Ballard – 1977 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  15. ^ "Walter Ballard – 1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
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