Ron Bouchard

Ronald Rodgers Bouchard (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, and brother-in-law, Ed Flemke Jr., were also NASCAR Modified racers.

Local driving career 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 RFK 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, Geoff 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

Bouchard began his NASCAR career in 1981 in the No. 47 Jim 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 twelve top-ten 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. 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 fifteen top-ten finishes in thirty 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 Geoff Bodine) and Rockingham in 1985 (where the roles of Talladega were reversed and he finished second to Waltrip).

In 1986, Bouchard changed to the No. 98 Valvoline Pontiac for owner Mike Curb (Curb Agajanian Performance Group). The team generally finished in the top-twenty when they completed a race, but they had nine DNFs (did not finish) in their seventeen events.

In 1987, Bouchard 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 In 1998, Bouchard 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.

After racing 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. Chad once played golf on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica and Korn Ferry Tour after coming from the University of Tampa before settling into the dealership, currently serving as General Manager for Ron Bouchard Auto Stores.

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.

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 Pts Ref 1981 Race Hill Farm Team 47 Buick RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI24 NWS8 DAR27 TAL20 NSV DOV27 CLT26 TWS RSD MCH10 DAY9 NSV POC10 TAL1 MCH29 BRI5 DAR11 RCH25 DOV4 MAR6 NWS5 CLT5 CAR11 ATL39 RSD10 21st 2594 Pontiac MAR9 1982 Buick DAY6 RCH9 BRI8 ATL36 CAR16 DAR34 NWS13 MAR19 TAL36 NSV3 DOV6 CLT10 POC31 RSD9 MCH12 DAY3 NSV10 POC4 TAL34 MCH10 DAR26 NWS7 MAR14 CAR8 ATL32 RSD6 8th 3545 Olds BRI12 RCH15 DOV8 CLT35 1983 Buick DAY26 RCH12 CAR20 ATL12 DAR18 NWS11 MAR7 TAL20 NSV9 DOV34 BRI7 CLT41 RSD POC34 MCH28 DAY4 NSV27 POC13 TAL12 MCH12 BRI7 DAR32 RCH25 DOV16 MAR NWS7 CLT15 CAR6 ATL35 RSD11 16th 3113 1984 DAY27 RCH29 CAR21 ATL12 BRI3 NWS7 DAR17 MAR2 TAL10 NSV5 DOV9 CLT3 RSD19 POC19 MCH20 DAY34 NSV4 POC7 TAL16 MCH10 BRI14 DAR33 RCH13 DOV8 MAR19 CLT11 NWS28 CAR14 ATL12 RSD35 11th 3609 1985 DAY38 RCH4 CAR33 ATL7 BRI17 DAR16 NWS13 MAR28 TAL28 DOV20 CLT29 RSD32 POC29 MCH13 DAY4 POC9 TAL3 MCH38 BRI7 DAR5 RCH18 DOV8 MAR6 NWS6 CLT26 CAR2 ATL16 RSD10 13th 3267 1986 Curb Racing 98 Pontiac DAY6 RCH18 ATL40 BRI25 DAR37 NWS17 MAR TAL9 DOV27 CLT19 RSD POC12 MCH36 DAY41 POC TAL17 GLN MCH BRI DAR30 RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT21 CAR ATL42 RSD 31st 1553 Buick CAR13 1987 Ellington Racing 1 Chevy DAY32 CAR36 RCH ATL12 DAR8 NWS BRI MAR 48th 440 Buick TAL38 CLT DOV POC RSD MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR RSD ATL

Daytona 500 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 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 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 DAR5 RCH NWS SBO MAR ROU 61st 320 Race Hill Farm Team 74 Pontiac CLT3 HCY MAR 1984 DuBee Racing 47 DAY26 RCH CAR3 HCY MAR DAR1 ROU NSV LGY MLW CLT22* SBO HCY ROU SBO ROU HCY IRP LGY SBO BRI DAR1* RCH NWS CLT28 HCY CAR2 MAR 31st 956 All-Star Racing 15 Pontiac DOV2 1985 Race Hill Farm Team 47 Buick DAY28 CAR HCY BRI MAR DAR25 SBO LGY DOV CLT40 SBO HCY ROU IRP SBO LGY HCY MLW BRI24 DAR29 RCH NWS ROU CLT11 HCY CAR MAR23 42nd 507 1986 Spencer Racing 28 Pontiac DAY4 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 1987 Shepherd Racing 97 Buick DAY40 HCY MAR DAR BRI LGY SBO 67th 80 Shugart Racing 90 Buick CLT42 DOV IRP ROU JFC OXF SBO HCY RAL LGY ROU BRI JFC DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT CAR MAR