Gary Balough

Last updated
Gary Balough
Born (1947-09-16) September 16, 1947 (age 76)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Achievements1986 ALL PRO Super Series Champion
1980, 1986 Snowball Derby Winner
1984, 1986 All American 400 Winner
1968 Florida Governor's Cup Winner
1984 World Crown 300 Winner
1979 Orange Blossom 100 Winner
1981 Cracker 200 Winner
1976, 1977, 1978, 1980 Super DIRT Week Big-Block Modified Championship Winner
NASCAR Cup Series career
22 races run over 6 years
Best finish40th (1981)
First race 1979 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
Last race 1992 Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte)
WinsTop tens Poles
020
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
4 races run over 2 years
Best finish68th (1990)
First race 1982 Goody's 300 (Daytona)
Last race 1990 AC-Delco 200 (Rockingham)
WinsTop tens Poles
010
NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Series
First Win 1981 Miller High Life 300 (Charlotte Motor Speedway)

Gary Balough (born September 16, 1947) [1] is a retired American stock car racing driver who competed from 1979 to 2001. Balough has won more than 1000 races throughout his short-track career and has accumulated more than 20 wins in the All-Pro division.

Contents

Racing career

Throughout the 1970s, Balough expanded his racing across the entire East Coast. He moved from Late Models in the Southeast to Dirt Modifieds in the Northeast. Between 1976 and 1978, Gary won the prestigious Syracuse 200 for modifieds. [2] Balough led one lap in his NASCAR Cup career, at the 1981 Talladega 500 where he came from 41st to 1st, only to suffer from an overheating engine and resulting DNF. In addition to his many short-track wins, Balough also won the 1981 Miller High Life 300 NASCAR Late Model Sportsman race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Balough beat Dale Earnhardt and Jody Ridley to win the race. Bob Rahilly of RahMoc Racing owned and built the cars and engines for both of these races. [3]

He started an average of 21st place and finished an average of 25th while bringing home a career total of $90,900 ($189,560.02 when adjusted for inflation). [1] [4]

Personal life

Balough served a sentence of 45½ months in jail for drug trafficking; which ended his career along with his marriage. [1] [4] A ride with Harry Ranier's team was in the works along with a sponsorship from Domino's Pizza that would have paid him $750,000 ($2,002,276.87 when adjusted for inflation) for having their name appear on his car for 25 races. [4] Balough used many car owners, engine builders and car builders to help Balough become on top of his game. [4]

After his jail sentence expired, Balough still had access to his children and could still practice his hobby of fishing. [4] His first racing event after the end of his jail sentence was a 200-lap "All-Pro" race in Summerville, South Carolina where he earned the pole position and won the race. [4]

Balough later wrote an autobiography and was also the subject of a documentary film. [5]

List of achievements

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.)

Winston Cup Series

NASCAR Winston Cup Series results
YearTeamNo.Make12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031NWCCPtsRef
1979 Billie Harvey 87 Oldsmobile RSD DAY
35
CAR RCH ATL NWS BRI DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT TWS RSD MCH DAY
16
NSV POC
35
TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR ATL ONT 90th116 [7]
1980 Chevy RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT TWS RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV NWS MAR CLT CAR ATL
39
108th46 [8]
Phil Howard33 ONT
DNQ
1981 RahMoc Enterprises 75 RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT TWS RSD MCH DAY NSV POC
12
40th656 [9]
Buick TAL
25
MCH
18
BRI DAR
25
RCH
10
DOV
17
MAR NWS CLT
24
CAR
32
ATL
34
RSD
19
1982 Pontiac DAY
11
38th564 [10]
Buick RCH
32
BRI
23
ATL
7
CAR
12
DAR NWS MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT POC RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV NWS CLT MAR CAR ATL RSD
1991 Ken Allen34 Chevy DAY
DNQ
RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY 74th89 [11]
Jim Rosenblum Racing 13 Buick POC
40
TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS
27 Pontiac CLT
39
CAR PHO ATL
1992 Chevy DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT
40
DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 93rd43 [12]
Daytona 500
YearTeamManufacturerStartFinish
1979 Billie Harvey Oldsmobile 2735
1982 RahMoc Enterprises Pontiac 3111
1991 Ken Allen Chevrolet DNQ


Busch Series

NASCAR Busch Series results
YearTeamNo.Make12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031NBSCPtsRef
1982 RahMoc Enterprises 75 Pontiac DAY
4
RCH BRI MAR DAR HCY SBO CRW RCH LGY DOV HCY CLT ASH HCY SBO CAR CRW SBO HCY LGY IRP BRI HCY RCH MAR CLT HCY MAR 106th160 [13]
1990 Roy Hill4 Buick DAY RCH CAR MAR HCY DAR BRI LAN SBO NZH HCY CLT DOV ROU VOL MYB OXF NHA SBO DUB IRP ROU BRI DAR
32
RCH DOV
29
MAR CLT
DNQ
NHA CAR
33
MAR 68th207 [14]
1991 82 DAY
DNQ
RCH CAR MAR VOL HCY DAR BRI LAN SBO NZH CLT DOV ROU HCY MYB GLN OXF NHA SBO DUB IRP ROU BRI DAR RCH DOV N/AN/A [15]
CLT
DNQ
NHA CAR MAR

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Racing information for Gary Balough". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
  2. "Historical Motorsports Stories: Understanding Gary Balough - Racing-Reference.info". www.racing-reference.info. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  3. "Gary Balough".
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "History of Gary Balough". Stock Car Racing. Archived from the original on 2012-04-24. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
  5. "264 - Gary Balough: Racing, Fighting & Smuggling". Player.fm. Dirty Mo Media. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  6. "Veteran drivers named to Hall of Fame". Albany Times Union. 6 August 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  7. "Gary Balough – 1979 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  8. "Gary Balough – 1980 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  9. "Gary Balough – 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  10. "Gary Balough – 1982 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  11. "Gary Balough – 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  12. "Gary Balough – 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  13. "Gary Balough – 1982 NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  14. "Gary Balough – 1990 NASCAR Busch Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  15. "Gary Balough – 1991 NASCAR Busch Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
Achievements
Preceded by Snowball Derby Winner
1986
Succeeded by
Preceded by Snowball Derby Winner
1980
Succeeded by