Ken Bouchard (pronounced BOO-shard, born April 6, 1955, in Fitchburg, Massachusetts) is a former NASCAR driver. His brother Ron Bouchard was the 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year.
Modified career
Before he came to NASCAR, he was a successful modified race in the Northeast. He won eleven NASCAR modified races in one season. He was voted one of NASCAR Modified’s 50
Greatest Drivers of All-Time. He then ran a part-time Busch Series schedule.
Winston Cup career
He made his Winston Cup (now Sprint 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.
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.
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