Ron Bouchard
Ronald Bouchard | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
160 races run over 7 years | |||||||
Best finish | 8th (1982) | ||||||
First race | 1981 Valleydale 500 (Bristol) | ||||||
Last race | 1987 Winston 500 (Talladega) | ||||||
First win | 1981 Talladega 500 (Talladega) | ||||||
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Darlington 200 (Darlington ) | |||||||
|
Ronald Rodgers Bouchard
Local driving career
Ron Bouchard began racing career at Brookline Speedway as a substitute driver in 1963 by replacing the ill driver for his father's car. After high school he began racing in his father's car, and he rapidly moved up the ranks to late models at Seekonk Speedway. He claimed five consecutive track championships from 1967 to 1971. He began racing at other local tracks in the Camaro, and he was noticed by Bob Johnson.
Johnson quickly put Bouchard in his
Bouchard was also a notable rival of fellow New Englander,
NASCAR career
Bouchard began his NASCAR career in 1981 in the No. 47
Bouchard's victory is considered by many as the biggest upset in NASCAR history and the win essentially clinched the Cup Series rookie of the year award for Bouchard. In 1982 Bouchard finished a career-high eighth in the final points standing with 15 top 10 finishes in 30 races. He ran full-time in 1983, 1984, and 1985. He finished between eleventh and sixteenth in the final points standing each of those years. Bouchard also came close to winning races at Martinsville in 1984 (finishing second to Geoffrey Bodine) and Rockingham in 1985 (where the roles of Talladega were reversed and he finished second to Waltrip).
In 1986 he changed to the No. 98
In 1987 he raced in the No. 1
Awards
In 1998, he was inducted into the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame in its inaugural class.
In 2016, New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame began awarding the Ron Bouchard Award for lifetime service to motorsport in the area.[3]
After racing
After racing in Winston Cup, Bouchard returned home to Fitchburg, Massachusetts, opening Ron Bouchard's Auto Stores, which currently represents Honda, Acura, Stellantis, Kia, and Nissan.
Bouchard married Paula Flemke, daughter of New England Modified racer "Steady" Ed Flemke, Sr. and sister to Ed Flemke Jr, in June 1983. The couple had five children—Eugene, Robert, Michelle, Tracey, and Chad.
In September 2015, Bouchard opened a museum at his Stellantis dealership celebrating his motorsport history, three months before his death to cancer on December 10, 2015.[4]
Motorsports career results
NASCAR
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Winston Cup Series
Winston Cup 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 | |||||||
1981 | Race Hill Farm Team
|
47 | Buick | RSD | DAY | RCH
|
CAR
|
ATL
|
BRI 24 |
NWS 8 |
DAR 27 |
TAL 20 |
NSV
|
DOV 27 |
CLT 26 |
TWS | RSD
|
MCH 10 |
DAY 9 |
NSV
|
POC 10 |
TAL 1 |
MCH 29 |
BRI 5 |
DAR 11 |
RCH 25 |
DOV 4 |
MAR 6 |
NWS 5 |
CLT 5 |
CAR 11 |
ATL 39 |
RSD 10 |
21st | 2594 | [5] | ||||||||
Pontiac | MAR 9 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1982 | Buick | DAY 6 |
RCH 9 |
BRI 8 |
ATL 36 |
CAR 16 |
DAR 34 |
NWS 13 |
MAR 19 |
TAL 36 |
NSV 3 |
DOV 6 |
CLT 10 |
POC 31 |
RSD 9 |
MCH 12 |
DAY 3 |
NSV 10 |
POC 4 |
TAL 34 |
MCH 10 |
DAR 26 |
NWS 7 |
MAR 14 |
CAR 8 |
ATL 32 |
RSD 6 |
8th | 3545 | [6] | ||||||||||||||
Olds | BRI 12 |
RCH 15 |
DOV 8 |
CLT 35 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1983 | Buick | DAY 26 |
RCH 12 |
CAR 20 |
ATL 12 |
DAR 18 |
NWS 11 |
MAR 7 |
TAL 20 |
NSV 9 |
DOV 34 |
BRI 7 |
CLT 41 |
RSD | POC 34 |
MCH 28 |
DAY 4 |
NSV 27 |
POC 13 |
TAL 12 |
MCH 12 |
BRI 7 |
DAR 32 |
RCH 25 |
DOV 16 |
MAR
|
NWS 7 |
CLT 15 |
CAR 6 |
ATL 35 |
RSD 11 |
16th | 3113 | [7] | ||||||||||
1984 | DAY 27 |
RCH 29 |
CAR 21 |
ATL 12 |
BRI 3 |
NWS 7 |
DAR 17 |
MAR 2 |
TAL 10 |
NSV 5 |
DOV 9 |
CLT 3 |
RSD 19 |
POC 19 |
MCH 20 |
DAY 34 |
NSV 4 |
POC 7 |
TAL 16 |
MCH 10 |
BRI 14 |
DAR 33 |
RCH 13 |
DOV 8 |
MAR 19 |
CLT 11 |
NWS 28 |
CAR 14 |
ATL 12 |
RSD 35 |
11th | 3609 | [8] | |||||||||||
1985 | DAY 38 |
RCH 4 |
CAR 33 |
ATL 7 |
BRI 17 |
DAR 16 |
NWS 13 |
MAR 28 |
TAL 28 |
DOV 20 |
CLT 29 |
RSD 32 |
POC 29 |
MCH 13 |
DAY 4 |
POC 9 |
TAL 3 |
MCH 38 |
BRI 7 |
DAR 5 |
RCH 18 |
DOV 8 |
MAR 6 |
NWS 6 |
CLT 26 |
CAR 2 |
ATL 16 |
RSD 10 |
13th | 3267 | [9] | |||||||||||||
1986 | Curb Racing | 98 | Pontiac | DAY 6 |
RCH 18 |
ATL 40 |
BRI 25 |
DAR 37 |
NWS 17 |
MAR
|
TAL 9 |
DOV 27 |
CLT 19 |
RSD | POC 12 |
MCH 36 |
DAY 41 |
POC
|
TAL 17 |
GLN
|
MCH | BRI
|
DAR 30 |
RCH
|
DOV | MAR
|
NWS
|
CLT 21 |
CAR
|
ATL 42 |
RSD | 31st | 1553 | [10] | ||||||||||
Buick | CAR 13 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1987 | Ellington Racing
|
1 | Chevy | DAY 32 |
CAR 36 |
RCH
|
ATL 12 |
DAR 8 |
NWS | BRI
|
MAR
|
48th | 440 | [11] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Buick | TAL 38 |
CLT | DOV
|
POC
|
RSD | MCH
|
DAY
|
POC
|
TAL
|
GLN
|
MCH
|
BRI
|
DAR
|
RCH
|
DOV
|
MAR | NWS | CLT
|
CAR
|
RSD | ATL
|
Daytona 500
Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish |
---|---|---|---|---|
1982 | Race Hill Farm Team
|
Buick | 22 | 6 |
1983 | 23 | 26 | ||
1984 | 18 | 27 | ||
1985 | 15 | 38 | ||
1986 | Curb Racing | Pontiac | 14 | 6 |
1987 | Ellington Racing
|
Chevy | 17 | 32 |
Busch Series
Busch 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 | NBGNC | Pts | Ref |
1983 | Boehler's Racing | 08 | Pontiac | DAY
|
RCH
|
CAR
|
HCY
|
MAR
|
NWS | SBO | GPS | LGY | DOV
|
BRI
|
CLT
|
SBO
|
HCY | ROU | SBO
|
ROU | CRW | ROU | SBO | HCY | LGY | IRP | GPS | BRI
|
HCY
|
DAR 5 |
RCH
|
NWS | SBO
|
MAR
|
ROU | 61st | 320 | [12] | |||
Race Hill Farm Team
|
74 | Pontiac | CLT 3 |
HCY | MAR
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1984
|
DuBee Racing | 47 | DAY 26 |
RCH
|
CAR 3 |
HCY
|
MAR
|
DAR 1 |
ROU | NSV
|
LGY | MLW
|
CLT 22* |
SBO
|
HCY | ROU | SBO
|
ROU | HCY | IRP | LGY
|
SBO
|
BRI
|
DAR 1* |
RCH
|
NWS | CLT 28 |
HCY
|
CAR 2 |
MAR
|
31st | 956 | [13] | ||||||||
All-Star Racing | 15 | Pontiac | DOV 2 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1985
|
Race Hill Farm Team
|
47 | Buick | DAY 28 |
CAR
|
HCY
|
BRI
|
MAR
|
DAR 25 |
SBO
|
LGY | DOV
|
CLT 40 |
SBO
|
HCY
|
ROU
|
IRP | SBO
|
LGY
|
HCY
|
MLW
|
BRI 24 |
DAR 29 |
RCH
|
NWS | ROU | CLT 11 |
HCY | CAR
|
MAR 23 |
42nd | 507 | [14] | ||||||||
1986
|
Spencer Racing | 28 | Pontiac | DAY 4 |
CAR
|
HCY
|
MAR
|
BRI
|
DAR
|
SBO
|
LGY | JFC | DOV
|
CLT
|
SBO | HCY
|
ROU
|
IRP | SBO
|
RAL | OXF
|
SBO | HCY
|
LGY
|
ROU | BRI
|
DAR
|
RCH
|
DOV
|
MAR
|
ROU
|
CLT
|
CAR
|
MAR
|
98th | 0 | [15] | ||||
1987
|
Shepherd Racing
|
97 | Buick | DAY 40 |
HCY
|
MAR
|
DAR
|
BRI
|
LGY | SBO
|
67th | 80 | [16] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shugart Racing | 90 | Buick | CLT 42 |
DOV
|
IRP | ROU
|
JFC | OXF
|
SBO
|
HCY
|
RAL | LGY
|
ROU | BRI
|
JFC | DAR
|
RCH
|
DOV
|
MAR
|
CLT
|
CAR
|
MAR
|
References
- ^ "Ronald R. "Ron" Bouchard Obituary (2015) Sentinel & Enterprise".
- ^ Caraviello, David (October 17, 2013). "Ranking the top 10 moments at Talladega". NASCAR. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
- ^ Speed Sport: New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame 2016
- ^ Courchesne, Shawn (December 10, 2015). "New England Auto Racers Hall Of Fame Member Ron Bouchard Dies". RaceDay CT. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
- ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
- ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1982 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
- ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1983 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
- ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1984 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
- ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1985 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
- ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
- ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
- ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1983 NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
- ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1984 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
- ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1985 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
- ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1986 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
- ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1987 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
External links
- Ron Bouchard driver statistics at Racing-Reference
- Ron's Biography Archived 2002-08-12 at archive.today
- Bouchard's auto dealership and museum