| Ken Rush | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Rush, circa 1969 | |||||||
| Born | (1931-09-14)September 14, 1931 High Point, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | October 17, 2011(2011-10-17) (aged 80) High Point, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||
| Cause of death | Stroke | ||||||
| Achievements | 1969Grand American Champion 1964 & 1966Bowman Gray Stadium Modified Champion | ||||||
| Awards | 1957Grand National SeriesRookie of the Year | ||||||
| NASCARCup Series career | |||||||
| 56 races run over 8 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 39th (1957) | ||||||
| First race | 1957 Race #23 (Newport) | ||||||
| Last race | 1972World 600 (Charlotte) | ||||||
| |||||||
| Statistics up to date as of April 22, 2013. | |||||||
Kenneth Rush (September 14, 1931 – October 17, 2011) was an AmericanNASCARCup Series driver whose career spanned from 1957 to 1972.[1]
He would win the 1969 'Bama 400 Grand Touring race on Saturday, September 13, 1969 - arguably the first race held atTalladega Superspeedway sanctioned by any motorsports body - in hisChevrolet Camaro.[2] Another notable appearance for Rush was at the1957 Rebel 300 where he finished in last place due to the infamous "lap 29" crash.[3]
In his eight-year career, Rush managed to race in 56 races for a distance of 9396 laps - the equivalent of 5,717.6 miles (9,201.6 km).[1] He started 14th on average and finished in 18th on average.[1] After his racing career was over, Rush managed to earn $11,760 in total prize winnings ($88,401.15 when adjusted for inflation).[1] Had he been born 40 years later, he may have accomplished the big prize winnings that today's NASCAR superstars earn from their races.[4] A lot of the races during Ken's era paid $200 ($2,239.1 when adjusted for inflation) or less just for winning the race.[4]
Ken died from a stroke in his hometown ofHigh Point, North Carolina at age 80.[5]