Ronald Bouchard
Born	(1948-11-23)November 23, 1948 Fitchburg, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	December 10, 2015(2015-12-10) (aged 67) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Cause of death	Cancer
Awards	1981Winston Cup SeriesRookie of the Year New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame (1998)
NASCARCup Series career
160 races run over 7 years
Best finish	8th (1982)
First race	1981Valleydale 500 (Bristol)
Last race	1987Winston 500 (Talladega)
First win	1981Talladega 500 (Talladega)
Wins Top tens Poles 1 60 3
NASCARO'Reilly Auto Parts Series career
20 races run over 5 years
Best finish	31st (1984)
First race	1983Darlington 250 (Darlington)
Last race	1987Winn-Dixie 300 (Charlotte)
First win	1984Dixie Cup 200 (Darlington)
Last win	1984Darlington 200 (Darlington)
Wins Top tens Poles 2 8 4

Ronald Rodgers Bouchard^[1] (November 23, 1948 – December 10, 2015) was an AmericanNASCAR driver who was the 1981NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year. His brotherKen 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.

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 tolate models atSeekonk 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 hismodified car at the famousStafford 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 ofRFK Racing driverRyan 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.

Bouchard began his NASCAR career in 1981 in the No. 47J.D. Stacy Buick for ownerJack 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 theTalladega 500 atTalladega Superspeedway. Running third toDarrell Waltrip andTerry 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 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 Geoffrey Bodine) and Rockingham in 1985 (where the roles of Talladega were reversed and he finished second to Waltrip).

In 1986 he changed to the No. 98Valvoline Pontiac for ownerMike Curb (Curb-Agajanian Motorsports). 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. 1Bull's Eye Barbecue Sauce Chevrolet for ownerHoss Ellington in five events. Their two finishes were eighth and twelfth.

In 1998, Bouchard was inducted into theNew 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 in Winston Cup, Bouchard returned home toFitchburg, 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 toEd Flemke Jr., in June 1983. The couple had five children—Eugene, Robert, Michelle, Tracey, and Chad. Chad once played golf on thePGA Tour Latinoamerica andKorn Ferry Tour after coming from theUniversity 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 hisStellantis dealership celebrating his motorsport history, three months before his death to cancer on December 10, 2015.^[4]

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

• Ron Bouchard's Auto Stores
• Ron Bouchard driver statistics at Racing-Reference
• Ron's BiographyArchived 2002-08-12 atarchive.today

• 1948 births
• 2015 deaths
• NASCAR drivers
• Sportspeople from Fitchburg, Massachusetts
• Racing drivers from Massachusetts
• Deaths from cancer in Massachusetts
• Automobile salespeople from Massachusetts
• Daytona 500 drivers
• Coca-Cola 600 drivers

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