Michael Ritch

Michael Ritch (born February 24, 1973) is an American stock car racing driver who competed in 47 races across NASCAR's top three series between 1992 and 2002. He also competed in 165 Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series races between 1998 and 2009, winning 15 races and the 2007 Southern Division Championship. Ritch currently competes on the SMART Modified Tour.

Early career Ritch began his racing career when he was nine years old when he raced BMX bikes. He would eventually move to late model race cars. At the age of nineteen, he won both the track championship at Ace Speedway in Elon, North Carolina and the regional Mid-Atlantic Championship in 1992, winning fourteen of his 44 starts.

NASCAR career

Winston Cup Series Ritch made his only career Winston Cup start at Dover International Speedway in 1995. He would finish 34th in the forty-car field, falling out of the race just before the halfway mark after an engine failure..

Busch Series Ritch made sporadic Busch Series starts between 1992 and 1999, often on short tracks in Virginia and The Carolinas. During this time he made eighteen starts with a best finish of ninth coming at Orange County Speedway in 1994.

In 2000, Ritch got an opportunity to run a full schedule, driving the No. 55 Ford for Davis & Weight Motorsports. The season was a disappointment as Ritch failed to qualify eleven times in 32 attempts, had only one lead lap finish, and finished 33rd in the standings. He also finished in the top-twenty only five times that season, with a best finish of thirteenth at Talladega, and also led five laps at Gateway. His best showing that season came at South Boston Speedway when he was fastest in practice and qualified third for the race, but finished 25th after a rear gear problem late in the race. After the season, Ritch was released and never attempted another Busch Series race after that.

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 Pts Ref 1992 John Ritch 02 Olds DAY CAR RCH ATL MAR DAR BRI HCY LAN DUB NZH CLT DOV ROU MYB GLN VOL NHA TAL IRP ROU MCH NHA BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT MAR CAR HCY 70th 246 1993 DAY CAR RCH DAR BRI HCY ROU MAR NZH CLT DOV MYB GLN MLW TAL IRP MCH NHA BRI DAR RCH DOV ROU CLT MAR 51st 479 Chevy CAR HCY ATL 1994 DAY CAR RCH ATL MAR DAR HCY BRI RCH DOV CLT 55th 438 Olds ROU NHA NZH CLT DOV MYB GLN MLW SBO TAL HCY IRP MCH BRI DAR MAR CAR 1995 Ritch Racing 2 Chevy DAY CAR RCH ATL NSH DAR BRI HCY NHA NZH CLT DOV MYB GLN MLW TAL SBO IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT CAR HOM 95th 82 1996 Ken Wilson 02 Chevy DAY CAR RCH ATL NSV DAR BRI HCY NZH CLT DOV SBO MYB GLN MLW NHA TAL IRP MCH BRI DAR CAR HOM 79th 116 Pontiac RCH DOV CLT 1997 John Ritch 58 Chevy DAY CAR RCH ATL LVS DAR HCY TEX BRI NSV TAL NHA NZH CLT DOV SBO GLN MLW MYB GTY IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT CAL CAR HOM 117th 40 1998 DAY CAR LVS NSV DAR BRI TEX HCY TAL NHA NZH CLT DOV RCH PPR GLN MLW MYB CAL SBO IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT GTY CAR ATL HOM N/A 0 1999 Davis & Weight Motorsports 55 Pontiac DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR TEX NSV BRI TAL CAL NHA RCH NZH CLT DOV SBO GLN MLW MYB PPR GTY IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT CAR MEM PHO HOM 104th 110 2000 Ford DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR BRI TEX NSV TAL CAL RCH NHA CLT DOV SBO MYB GLN MLW NZH PPR GTY IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT CAR MEM PHO HOM 33rd 1643 † - Qualified but replaced by Rodney Combs. ‡ - Qualified but replaced by Jeff Fuller.

Craftsman Truck Series NASCAR Craftsman Truck 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 Pts Ref 2001 Ware Racing Enterprises 51 Chevy DAY HOM MMR MAR GTY DAR PPR DOV TEX MEM MLW KAN KEN NHA IRP NSH CIC NZH RCH 64th 269 91 SBO TEX LVS PHO CAL 2002 51 Dodge DAY DAR MAR GTY PPR DOV TEX 48th 370 81 MEM MLW KAN KEN NHA MCH IRP NSH RCH TEX SBO LVS CAL PHO HOM

CARS Super Late Model Tour (key) CARS Super Late Model Tour results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pts Ref 2020 FR Motorsports 11 Ford SNM HCY JEN HCY13 FCS BRI FLC11 NSH 16th 43 2021 Todd Fuquay HCY8 GPS NSH JEN HCY8 MMS9 TCM SBO 8th 74

SMART Modified Tour SMART Modified Tour results Year Car owner No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pts Ref 2022 N/A 17 N/A FLO SNM CRW SBO FCS CRW NWS NWS CAR DOM HCY TRI PUL 35th 32 2023 N/A 11 N/A FLO CRW SBO HCY FCS CRW ACE CAR PUL TRI SBO ROU 24th 123 2024 FLO CRW SBO TRI ROU HCY FCS CRW JAC CAR CRW DOM SBO NWS 30th 76