Gary Balough

Gary Balough (born September 16, 1947)[1] is a retired American stock car racing driver who competed from 1979 to 2001. Balough has won more than 1000 races throughout his short-track career and has accumulated more than 20 wins in the All-Pro division.

Gary Balough
Born (1947-09-16) September 16, 1947
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Achievements1986 ALL PRO Super Series Champion
1980, 1986 Snowball Derby Winner
1984, 1986 All American 400 Winner
1968 Florida Governor's Cup Winner
1984 World Crown 300 Winner
1979 Orange Blossom 100 Winner
1981 Cracker 200 Winner
1976, 1977, 1978, 1980 Super DIRT Week Big-Block Modified Championship Winner
NASCAR Cup Series career
22 races run over 6 years
Best finish40th (1981)
First race1979 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
Last race1992 Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 2 0
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
4 races run over 2 years
Best finish68th (1990)
First race1982 Goody's 300 (Daytona)
Last race1990 AC-Delco 200 (Rockingham)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 1 0
NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Series
First Win1981 Miller High Life 300 (Charlotte Motor Speedway)

Racing career

Throughout the 1970s, Balough expanded his racing across the entire East Coast. He moved from Late Models in the Southeast to Dirt Modifieds in the Northeast. Between 1976 and 1978, Gary won the prestigious Syracuse 200 for modifieds.[2] Balough led one lap in his NASCAR Cup career, at the 1981 Talladega 500 where he came from 41st to 1st, only to suffer from an overheating engine and resulting DNF. In addition to his many short-track wins, Balough also won the 1981 Miller High Life 300 NASCAR Late Model Sportsman race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Balough beat Dale Earnhardt and Jody Ridley to win the race. Bob Rahilly of RahMoc Racing owned and built the cars and engines for both of these races.[3]

He started an average of 21st place and finished an average of 25th while bringing home a career total of $90,900 ($189,560.02 when adjusted for inflation).[1][4]

Personal life

Balough served a sentence of 45½ months in jail for drug trafficking; which ended his career along with his marriage.[1][4] A ride with Harry Ranier's team was in the works along with a sponsorship from Domino's Pizza that would have paid him $750,000 ($2,002,276.87 when adjusted for inflation) for having their name appear on his car for 25 races.[4] Balough used many car owners, engine builders and car builders to help Balough become on top of his game.[4]

After his jail sentence expired, Balough still had access to his children and could still practice his hobby of fishing.[4] His first racing event after the end of his jail sentence was a 200-lap "All-Pro" race in Summerville, South Carolina where he earned the pole position and won the race.[4]

Balough later wrote an autobiography and was also the subject of a documentary film.[5]

List of achievements
  • 1968 Florida's Governor's Cup 200 Winner
  • 1976 Syracuse 200 Winner
  • 1977 Syracuse 200 Winner
  • 1978 Syracuse 200 Winner
  • 1981 Miller High Life 300 Winner
  • 1980 Snowball Derby Winner
  • 1980 Syracuse 200 Winner
  • 1984 All American 400 Winner
  • 1984 World Crown 300 Winner
  • 1986 All American 400 Winner
  • 1986 All-Pro Champion
  • 1986 Snowball Derby Winner
  • 2015 Inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame.[6]

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
NASCAR 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
1979 Billie Harvey 87 Oldsmobile RSD DAY
35		 CAR RCH ATL NWS BRI DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT TWS RSD MCH DAY
16		 NSV POC
35		 TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR ATL ONT 90th 116 [7]
1980 Chevy RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT TWS RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV NWS MAR CLT CAR ATL
39		 108th 46 [8]
Phil Howard 33 ONT
DNQ
1981 RahMoc Enterprises 75 RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT TWS RSD MCH DAY NSV POC
12		 40th 656 [9]
Buick TAL
25		 MCH
18		 BRI DAR
25		 RCH
10		 DOV
17		 MAR NWS CLT
24		 CAR
32		 ATL
34		 RSD
19
1982 Pontiac DAY
11		 38th 564 [10]
Buick RCH
32		 BRI
23		 ATL
7		 CAR
12		 DAR NWS MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT POC RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV NWS CLT MAR CAR ATL RSD
1991 Ken Allen 34 Chevy DAY
DNQ		 RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY 74th 89 [11]
Jim Rosenblum Racing 13 Buick POC
40		 TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS
27 Pontiac CLT
39		 CAR PHO ATL
1992 Chevy DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT
40		 DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 93rd 43 [12]
Daytona 500
Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish
1979 Billie Harvey Oldsmobile 27 35
1982 RahMoc Enterprises Pontiac 31 11
1991 Ken Allen Chevrolet DNQ


Busch Series
NASCAR 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 NBSC Pts Ref
1982 RahMoc Enterprises 75 Pontiac DAY
4		 RCH BRI MAR DAR HCY SBO CRW RCH LGY DOV HCY CLT ASH HCY SBO CAR CRW SBO HCY LGY IRP BRI HCY RCH MAR CLT HCY MAR 106th 160 [13]
1990 Roy Hill 4 Buick DAY RCH CAR MAR HCY DAR BRI LAN SBO NZH HCY CLT DOV ROU VOL MYB OXF NHA SBO DUB IRP ROU BRI DAR
32		 RCH DOV
29		 MAR CLT
DNQ		 NHA CAR
33		 MAR 68th 207 [14]
1991 82 DAY
DNQ		 RCH CAR MAR VOL HCY DAR BRI LAN SBO NZH CLT DOV ROU HCY MYB GLN OXF NHA SBO DUB IRP ROU BRI DAR RCH DOV N/A N/A [15]
CLT
DNQ		 NHA CAR MAR

References
  1. "Racing information for Gary Balough". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
  2. "Historical Motorsports Stories: Understanding Gary Balough - Racing-Reference.info". www.racing-reference.info. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  3. "Gary Balough".
  4. "History of Gary Balough". Stock Car Racing. Archived from the original on 2012-04-24. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
  5. "264 - Gary Balough: Racing, Fighting & Smuggling". Player.fm. Dirty Mo Media. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  6. "Veteran drivers named to Hall of Fame". Albany Times Union. 6 August 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  7. "Gary Balough – 1979 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  8. "Gary Balough – 1980 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  9. "Gary Balough – 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  10. "Gary Balough – 1982 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  11. "Gary Balough – 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  12. "Gary Balough – 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  13. "Gary Balough – 1982 NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  14. "Gary Balough – 1990 NASCAR Busch Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  15. "Gary Balough – 1991 NASCAR Busch Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
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