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Ron Bouchard

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Ronald Rodgers Bouchard[1] (November 23, 1948 – December 10, 2015) was an American NASCAR driver who was the 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year. His brother Ken Bouchard was the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year. His father-in-law, Ed Flemke Sr., and brother-in-law, Ed Flemke Jr., were also NASCAR Modified racers.

Ronald Bouchard
Born(1948-11-23)November 23, 1948
Fitchburg, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedDecember 10, 2015(2015-12-10) (aged 67)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Cause of deathCancer
Awards1981 Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year
New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame (1998)
NASCAR Cup Series career
160 races run over 7 years
Best finish8th (1982)
First race1981 Valleydale 500 (Bristol)
Last race1987 Winston 500 (Talladega)
First win1981 Talladega 500 (Talladega)
Wins Top tens Poles
1 60 3
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
20 races run over 5 years
Best finish31st (1984)
First race1983 Darlington 250 (Darlington)
Last race1987 Winn-Dixie 300 (Charlotte)
First win1984 Dixie Cup 200 (Darlington)
Last win1984 Darlington 200 (Darlington)
Wins Top tens Poles
2 8 4

Local driving career

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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 modified car at the famous Stafford Speedway, and he won his first of his 35 career victories at Stafford in April 1972. He won the 1973 and 1979 track modified championships. Bouchard also drove for car owners Bob Judkins (No. 2x, grandfather of former JTG Daugherty Racing driver Ryan Preece) and also Len Boehler (No. 3), where he won numerous races at Stafford Speedway, Thompson Speedway, Seekonk Speedway, Waterford Speedbowl and Westboro Speedway. One of Bouchard's biggest modified victories came at Thompson Speedway driving Dick Armstrong's No. 1 in the Thompson 300 in 1980.

Bouchard was also a notable rival of fellow New Englander, Geoffrey Bodine, whom he beat several times for modified victories and vice versa. Bodine also beat Bouchard in the NASCAR race at Martinsville in 1984. In spite of their rivalry, however, Bodine recommended Bouchard when Hendrick Motorsports began their Busch Series program later in 1984, allowing Bouchard to drive one race for the team.

NASCAR career

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1983 racecar

Bouchard began his NASCAR career in 1981 in the No. 47 J.D. Stacy Buick for owner Jack Beebe (Race Hill Farm team). He captured the 1981 NASCAR Rookie of the Year title even though he only raced in 22 of 31 events. He posted 12 top 10 finishes in the 22 races, including his only career win, in the Talladega 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Running third to Darrell Waltrip and Terry Labonte on the last lap, he swooped under both of them as they battled side by side out of the final turn. The three cars crossed the finish line nearly simultaneously, with Bouchard winning in a photo finish.[2] After the race, Waltrip, who had been watching Labonte and not seen Bouchard pass him, asked, "Where the hell did he come from?" Waltrip has stated in interviews over the race that part of the reason he lost was because he did not try to block Bouchard as he believed that Bouchard was a lap down.

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).

 
1984 racecar

In 1986 he changed to the No. 98 Valvoline Pontiac for owner Mike Curb (Curb-Agajanian Motorsports). The team generally finished in the top 20 when they completed a race, but they had 9 DNFs (did not finish) in their 17 events.

In 1987 he raced in the No. 1 Bull's Eye Barbecue Sauce Chevrolet for owner Hoss Ellington in five events. Their two finishes were eighth and twelfth.

Awards

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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

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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

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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.)

Winston Cup Series

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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
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
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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

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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 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

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  1. ^ "Ronald R. "Ron" Bouchard Obituary (2015) Sentinel & Enterprise".
  2. ^ Caraviello, David (October 17, 2013). "Ranking the top 10 moments at Talladega". NASCAR. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  3. ^ Speed Sport: New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame 2016
  4. ^ Courchesne, Shawn (December 10, 2015). "New England Auto Racers Hall Of Fame Member Ron Bouchard Dies". RaceDay CT. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  5. ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  6. ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1982 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  7. ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1983 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  8. ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1984 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  9. ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1985 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  10. ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  11. ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  12. ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1983 NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  13. ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1984 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  14. ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1985 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  15. ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1986 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  16. ^ "Ron Bouchard − 1987 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
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