Walter Ballard

Walter Harvey Ballard Sr. (born January 12, 1933) is a former 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.
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

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, 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 ok from the wreck.[2] Despite the flip, Ballard had an even better season in 1972, collecting 7 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

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

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

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.)

Grand National Series
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 [6]
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 [7]

Winston Cup Series
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 [8]
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 [9]
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 [10]
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 [11]
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 [12]
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 [13]
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 - [14]
Hylton Motorsports 48 Chevy NSV
30		 POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT
† – Replaced by Tighe Scott

References
  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 Ballard – 1966 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  7. "Walter Ballard – 1971 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  8. "Walter Ballard – 1972 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  9. "Walter Ballard – 1973 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  10. "Walter Ballard – 1974 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  11. "Walter Ballard – 1975 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  12. "Walter Ballard – 1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  13. "Walter Ballard – 1977 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  14. "Walter Ballard – 1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
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