Walter Ballard

Walter Harvey Ballard Sr. (January 12, 1933 – October 26, 2024) was an American NASCAR driver from Houston, Texas. In 1971, he won the Rookie of the Year Award in the NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National Series (known as the NASCAR Cup Series as of 2021), in its first year under Winston's sponsorship.

NASCAR Winston Cup Series Ballard made his first start in the Winston Cup Series — then known as the Grand National Series — in 1966, but did not race in the series again until 1971.

In 1971, Ballard ran a nearly-full season in a car owned by his father, Vic, capturing 11 top-tens, a tenth-place finish in points, and the Rookie of the Year Award.

In the 1972 Daytona 500, Ballard's car flipped in the race. On lap 19 of the race, his car ramped over Buddy Baker's car on the front stretch wall and flipped over where it flipped another two times in the grass before landing on all four wheels. Ballard and Baker were both unscathed. Despite the flip, Ballard had an even better season in 1972, collecting seven top-tens and a sixth-place finish in points. He continued to race full-time with his family-owned team until 1975, and competed part-time in the 1976 and 1977 seasons before retiring from the series after 1977.

Ballard's best result in the Winston Cup Series was a third-place finish in the 1971 Space City 300 at Meyer Speedway in Houston, Texas.

Other NASCAR series Ballard also drove six races in the NASCAR Grand National East Series from 1972 to 1973, collecting one top-ten in 1972, and attempted two races in the NASCAR Winston West Series in 1971 and 1976, failing to qualify for both.

Personal life and death In 1979, Ballard started an automotive repair business with his sons Daniel, Stoney and Clint, retiring in November 2005. As of 2007, he resided in Charlotte, North Carolina. His wife Katy died in 2019.

Ballard died in Kingwood, Texas, on October 26, 2024, at the age of 91.

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.)

Grand National Series NASCAR Grand National 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 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 Pts Ref 1966 Ballard Racing 30 Ford AUG RSD DAY DAY DAY CAR BRI ATL HCY CLB GPS BGS NWS MAR DAR20 LGY MGR MON RCH CLT DTS ASH PIF SMR AWS BLV GPS DAY ODS BRR OXF FON ISP BRI SMR NSV ATL CLB AWS BLV BGS DAR HCY RCH HBO MAR NWS CLT CAR 84th 560 1971 RSD DAY DAY23 DAYDNQ ONTDNQ RCH30 CAR HCY BRI25 ATL39 CLB13 GPS11 SMR12 NWS17 MAR25 DAR16 SBO4 TAL22 ASH13 KPT7 CLT40 DOV10 MCH17 RSD HOU3 GPS5 DAY32 BRI11 AST13 ISP10 TRN12 NSV6 ATL18 BGS10 ONA8 MCH20 TAL22 CLB8 HCY21 DAR29 MAR16 CLT20 DOV9 CAR22 MGR12 RCH11 NWS13 TWS39 10th 2633

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 1972 Ballard Racing 30 Ford RSD14 DAY36 CARDNQ ATL26 BRI11 6th 6781.45 Plymouth RCH21 ONT47 Joe Phipps 65 Chevy CAR32 Ballard Racing 30 Mercury DAR18 NWS9 MAR9 TAL19 CLT15 DOV16 MCH12 RSD25 TWS33 DAY23 BRI9 TRN10 ATL10 TAL15 MCH11 NSV9 DAR12 RCH12 DOV8 MAR20 NWS19 CLT19 CAR15 TWS18 1973 Plymouth RSD19 8th 5955.7 Chevy DAY19 Mercury RCH11 CAR39 BRI17 ATL14 NWS18 DAR25 MAR8 TAL48 NSV22 CLT18 DOV28 TWS16 RSD15 MCH30 DAY26 BRI14 ATL15 TAL9 NSV7 DAR17 RCH6 DOV17 NWS13 MAR18 CLT23 CAR22 1974 Chevy RSD DAY10 RCH19 CAR6 BRI14 ATL DAR40 NWS12 MAR11 TAL24 NSV21 DOV22 CLT12 RSD MCH35 DAY20 BRI10 NSV26 ATL13 TAL48 MCH24 DAR16 RCH5 DOV10 NWS9 MAR25 CLT12 CAR15 ONT16 15th 748.44 Ed Hawks 75 Chevy POC29 1975 Ballard Racing 30 Chevy RSD31 DAY25 CAR17 BRI18 ATL24 NWS10 DAR18 MAR15 TAL12 NSV10 DOV25 CLT10 RSD24 MCH11 NSV18 TAL48 MCH11 DAR25 DOV14 NWS25 MAR14 CLT41 RCH15 CAR11 BRI12 ATL17 ONT20 11th 3151 Champion Racing 10 Ford RCH19 Tom Williams 38 Chevy DAY31 Dalton Racing 7 Ford POC13 1976 Ballard Racing 30 Chevy RSD DAY CAR25 RCH14 BRI19 NWS10 DAR MAR9 TAL NSV8 DOV16 ONTDNQ 26th 1554 29 ATL24 Hollar Racing CLT22 RSD MCH31 DAY NSV Negre Racing 82 Dodge POC37 TAL MCH Price Racing 45 Chevy BRI26 DAR RCH22 DOV16 MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL 1977 Ballard Racing 03 Chevy RSD DAY19 55th 318 Price Racing 45 Chevy RCH22 CAR ATL NWS DAR BRI MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR Ballard Racing 30 Chevy NWS16 CLT CAR ATL ONT 1978 RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MARQL TAL DOV CLT NSV RSD MCH DAY NA - Hylton Motorsports 48 Chevy NSV30 POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT † – Replaced by Tighe Scott