Sam Ard

Samuel Julian Ard (February 14, 1939 – April 2, 2017) was an American professional stock car racing driver. He won two NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series championships, in 1983 and 1984. Ard also made one NASCAR Winston Cup start. He retired from driving after being injured in late 1984 and became a car owner. He had Parkinson's disease later in life and died in April 2017 at age 78.[1]

Sam Ard
Born(1939-02-14)February 14, 1939
Pamplico, South Carolina
DiedApril 2, 2017(2017-04-02) (aged 78)
Florence, South Carolina
Achievements1983, 1984 Busch Series champion
Awards1983, 1984 Busch Series Most Popular Driver
Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023)
NASCAR Cup Series career
1 race run over 1 year
Best finish104th (1984)
First race1984 Goody's 500 (Martinsville)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
92 races run over 3 years
Best finish1st (1983, 1984)
First race1982 Goody's 300 (Daytona)
Last race1984 Komfort Koach 200 (Rockingham)
First win1982 Dogwood 500 (Martinsville)
Last win1984 Coca-Cola 300 (North Wilkesboro)
Wins Top tens Poles
22 79 24

Racing career

Late Model Sportsman Division 1975-1981

Ard was a regular competitor, earning at least nine wins and scoring multiple top-five finishes.[2] In 1981, Ard finished fifth in the season-long NASCAR National Championship point standings.[3]

Late Model Sportsman / Busch Grand National Series

Ard was the runner-up in 1982 of NASCAR's Late Model Sportsman Series, winning four races and finishing out of the top ten only six times.[4]

On the heels of that season, Ard won ten races and had twenty-three top-five finishes, and won the 1983 Busch Grand National (now Nascar Xfinity Series) points championship.[5]

He continued his dominant streak in 1984, with eight wins and twenty-four top-fives in 28 starts.[6] Ard was seriously injured in a crash at the Rockingham Speedway on October 20, 1984. Despite missing the season's final race at Martinsville, Ard captured the Busch Grand National championship for the second year in a row, but was never able to race again.[7]

Winston Cup Series

Ard made his first and only Winston Cup Series start on September 23, 1984, at Martinsville. He started 27th in the 31-car field but lasted just one lap before a steering failure ended his day.[8]

Post-racing career

After retiring as a driver, Ard became an owner, fielding cars for several drivers, most notably Jimmy Hensley and Jeff Burton, who claimed his first Grand National win driving Ard's car.[7]

Later life and death

Ard battled Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.[9] His family often received donations and aid from the racing community to help him. In 2006, drivers Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. led a charge to donate a substantial amount of funds for the care of Ard and his family. After tying Ard's Nationwide Series single-season victory record in 2008, Kyle Busch announced that he would give $100,000 to aid Ard's family with his care and mounting medical expenses in his honor.[10]

Ard died on April 2, 2017, at the age of 78.[11]

Personal life

Ard served in the Vietnam War as a member of the U. S. Air Force. He married his wife Jo in 1961, and they had four children.[12]

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 NWCC Pts Ref
1984 Zervakis Enterprises 02 Chevy DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD POC MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR
31		 CLT NWS CAR ATL RSD 104th 01 [8]

1 Ard's team was a post-entry for the race and thus did not receive points.[13]

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 32 33 34 35 NBSC Pts Ref
1982 Thomas Brothers Racing 00 Olds DAY
3		 RCH
21		 MAR
1		 DAR
6		 HCY
2		 SBO
1		 CRW
3		 RCH
2		 LGY
2		 DOV
17		 HCY
2		 CLT
12		 ASH
3		 HCY
3		 SBO
2		 CAR
5		 CRW
2		 SBO
1		 HCY
5		 LGY
3		 IRP
28		 BRI
9		 HCY
2		 RCH
3		 MAR
1		 CLT
2		 HCY
18		 MAR
6		 2nd 4448 [4]
Chevy BRI
20
1983 Olds DAY
6		 RCH
1		 CAR
12		 HCY
3		 MAR
1*		 NWS
1*		 SBO
25		 GPS
9		 LGY
7		 DOV
3		 BRI
9		 CLT
32		 SBO
11		 HCY
3		 ROU
4		 SBO
15		 ROU
4		 CRW
7*		 ROU
3		 SBO
4		 HCY
1*		 LGY
7		 IRP
3		 GPS
6		 BRI
1*		 HCY
5		 DAR
2		 RCH
5		 NWS
5		 SBO
1*		 MAR
1*		 ROU
1		 CLT
1		 HCY
2		 MAR
1*		 1st 5454 [5]
1984 DAY
4*		 RCH
1*		 CAR
1*		 HCY
3		 MAR
9		 DAR
4*		 ROU
3		 NSV
2*		 LGY
1*		 MLW
1*		 DOV
1*		 CLT
6		 SBO
1*		 HCY
4		 ROU
3		 SBO
1*		 ROU
3		 HCY
3		 IRP
2		 LGY
2		 SBO
5		 BRI
2		 DAR
2		 RCH
11		 NWS
1*		 CLT
3*		 HCY
5		 CAR
33		 MAR 1st 4552 [6]

ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series

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

ARCA Permatex SuperCar 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 APSC Pts Ref
1983 Thomas Brothers Racing 10 Olds DAY
36		 NSV TAL LPR LPR ISF IRP SSP FRS BFS WIN LPR POC TAL MCS FRS MIL DSF ZAN SND NA - [14]

References
  1. https://www.espn.com/jayski/cup/2017/story/_/id/19058368/sad-news-sam-ard-obituary
  2. "Sam Ard". The Third Turn. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  3. 1982 Nascar Yearbook & Press Guide
  4. "Sam Ard – 1982 NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  5. "Sam Ard – 1983 NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  6. "Sam Ard – 1984 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  7. "Jayski: Sad News - Sam Ard; obituary". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  8. "Sam Ard – 1984 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  9. "NASCAR short-track star Sam Ard dies at 78". Fox News. 2017-04-03. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  10. "Ards can't put price on Busch $100,000 donation". NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Associated Press. November 3, 2008. Archived from the original on December 11, 2008.
  11. "SAM ARD, TWO-TIME XFINITY SERIES CHAMPION, DIES AT 78". NASCAR. April 2, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  12. "Samuel Julian "Sam" Ard". SCNow. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  13. "1984 Official Race Results: Goody's 500". NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on August 21, 2010.
  14. "Sam Ard – 1983 ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
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