Ken Bouchard

Infobox NASCAR driver


Name = Kenneth Bouchard
Birthdate = birth date and age|1955|4|6
Birthplace = flagicon|USA Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Best_Cup_Pos = 25th - 1988 (Winston Cup)
Cup_Top_Tens = 1
First_Cup_Race = 1987 Miller American 400 (Michigan)
Last_Cup_Race = 1994 Hooters 500 (Atlanta)
Awards = 1988 Rookie of the Yearvoted one of NASCAR Modified’s 50 Greatest Drivers of All-Time
Years_In_Cup = 5
Total_Cup_Races = 33

Ken Bouchard (pronounced BOO-shard, born April 6, 1955, in Fitchburg, Massachusetts) is an American former NASCAR driver. His brother Ron Bouchard was the 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year and one time Winston Cup race winner.

Modified career

Before he came to NASCAR, he was a successful modified racer in the Northeast. He won eleven NASCAR modified races in one season. He was voted one of NASCAR Modified’s 50Greatest Drivers of All-Time. He then ran a part-time Busch Series schedule.

Winston Cup career

He made his Winston Cup (now NEXTEL Cup) debut in 1987 at the Miller American 400 at Michigan, finishing 32nd after suffering oil pressure problems. The next year, he raced full time in Winston Cup in an unsponsored car owned by Bob Whitcomb. Despite this, he finished 8th at North Carolina Speedway and defeated promising rivals Ernie Irvan and Brad Noffsinger to become the 1988 NASCAR Rookie of the Year. In 1989, however, he was released from his ride after just four races. He returned in 1993, running three races for Thee Dixon in his #85 Safety-Kleen/Burger King Ford. He ran his last Winston Cup race in 1994 at the Hooters 500, where his #67 Ford expired after 280 laps because of valve trouble, finishing 29th. Since then, Bouchard has competed in 5 Craftsman Truck Series races. He also attempted several Winston Cup events, but failed to qualify for each of them, the last of which was the 1999 Pepsi 400, in the #84 Chevy sponsored by Island Oasis.

Diecast collectible appearance

Racing Champions diecast has a 1992 Diecast replica of his #72 Auto Palace Pontiac that Bouchard raced in the Cup Series in 1992.

Driving instructor career

Bouchard now operates the Drive to Victory Lane Racing School at Thompson International Speedway. He finished 13th in the "Icebreaker 2006" NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at the track.

External links

* [http://www.drivetovictorylane.com Official Website of Bouchard's racing school]
* [http://www.racing-reference.info/driver?id=bouchke01 Driver statistics at racing-reference.info]