Best finish 1st - 1983, 1984 Name Sam Ard | ||
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Achievements 1983, 1984 Busch Series champion Similar People Tommy Ellis, Jimmy Hensley, Ray Hendrick, Larry Pearson | ||
Sam Ard
Samuel Julian Ard (February 14, 1939 – April 2, 2017) was an American professional stock car racing driver. He won two NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Series (now Xfinity Series) championship, in 1983 and 1984. Ard also made one Winston Cup start. He retired from driving after being injured in late 1984 and became a car owner. He battled Parkinson's in the later stages of his life and died in early 2017 at age 78.
Contents
- Sam Ard
- 2017 no 00 haas automation sam ard tribute ford mustang darlington
- Late Model Sportsman Series
- Winston Cup Series
- Post racing career
- Later life and death
- Personal life
- NASCAR
- References
2017 no 00 haas automation sam ard tribute ford mustang darlington
Late Model Sportsman Series
Ard was the runner-up in 1982 of NASCAR's Late Model Sportsman Series (which eventually became the NASCAR Xfinity Series), winning four races and finishing out of the top ten only six times. On the heels of that season, Ard won ten races and had twenty-three top five finishes and won the series points championship in only its second year of existence.
He continued his dominant streak in 1984, again winning the championship by virtue of eight wins and twenty-four top fives in 28 starts. Ard retired after being seriously injured in a crash at the North Carolina Speedway on October 20, 1984, which also caused him to miss the final race of his 1984 championship season.
Winston Cup Series
Ard made his first and only Winston Cup Series start on September 23, 1984 at Martinsville. He started 27th in the 31-car field, but lasted just one lap before a steering failure ended his DAY.
Post-racing career
After retiring as a driver, Ard became an owner, fielding cars for several drivers, most notably Jimmy Hensley and Jeff Burton, who claimed his first Grand National win driving Ard's car.
Later life and death
Ard battled Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. His family often received donations and aid from the racing community to help him. In 2006, drivers Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. led a charge to donate a substantial amount of funds for the care of Ard and his family. After tying Ard's Nationwide Series single-season victory record in 2008, Kyle Busch announced that he would give $100,000 to aid Ard's family with his care and mounting medical expenses in his honor.
Ard died on April 2, 2017 at the age of 78.
Personal life
Ard served in the Vietnam War as a member of the U. S. Air Force. He married his wife Jo in 1961, and they had four kids.
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
1 Ard's team was a post-entry for the race and thus did not receive points.