| Gary Balough | |||||||
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Gary Balough, photo taken at Nashville during the 1980s |
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| Born | September 16, 1947 Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, United States |
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| NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career | |||||||
| 22 races run over 6 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 38th – 1982 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season | ||||||
| First race | 1979 Daytona 500 (Daytona International Speedway) | ||||||
| Last race | 1992 Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte Motor Speedway) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Nationwide Series career | |||||||
| 4 races run over 2 years | |||||||
| First race | 1982 Goody's 300 (Daytona International Speedway) | ||||||
| Last race | 1990 AC-Delco 300 (North Carolina Motor Speedway) | ||||||
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Gary Balough is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver who has competed from 1979 to 1992.[1]
Balough has only led one lap out of 4033 - the equivalent of 5,668.9 miles (9,123.2 km).[1] He started an average of 21st place and finished an average of 25th while bringing home a career grand total of $90,900 ($142,265.1 in today's money).[1] Balough's only DNQ was at the 1991 Daytona 500.[1] Before his NASCAR Cup Series career, he would participate in modified dirt races where he would compete in his rule-bending vehicle known as the Batmobile (which carried the signature #112 and was completely unrelated to the Batmobile that is operated by Batman).[2] He served a sentence of 45½ months in jail for drug trafficking; which basically ended his career along with his marriage.[1][2] 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 ($1,502,283.8 in today's money) for having their name appear on his car for 25 races.[2] Robert Yates created the motors that helped Balough become "on top of his game.[2]"
After his jail sentence expired, Balough still had access to his children and could still practice his hobby of fishing.[2] 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.[2]