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Walter Ballard - Wikipedia
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Walter Ballard

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.

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

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

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

Grand National 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 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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