Whatever happened to ...

Jack Ingram and Sam Ard dominated the Busch Series' early years

At 67, Sam Ard is considerably younger than most people afflicted with Alzheimer's Disease, but he is undoubtedly the only Alzheimer's patient in the country who suffered head trauma in a crash at Rockingham.

The modern-day race fan might have seen Ard's picture in a series of television ads created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Anheuser-Busch's involvement in the NASCAR Busch Series. His shy grin is accentuated by a mass of wavy hair.

Sam Ard

Ard was the Busch Series champion in 1983 and 1984, and his record 10 wins in 1983 stands to this day.

Sadly, Ard has been unable to enjoy retirement. His career effectively ended as the 1984 season came to a close, when he suffered severe injuries in a crash at Rockingham.

Ard lives in relative seclusion with his wife Jo in Florence, S.C., their modest savings ravaged by the medical problems that have plagued them both in recent years.

Help came from an old friend this spring, when longtime Busch rival Jack Ingram helped organize a fundraiser for Ard at Richmond.

Ingram was the Busch Series' first title winner in 1982, and he and Ard authored many memorable battles on the short tracks in the Southeast. In those days, the Busch Series was a smattering of races on the bullrings that dotted the Piedmont and Ingram and Ard took most of the miniscule purse money.

Ingram, 69, still races Late Models occasionally at his beloved Greenville-Pickens Speedway, but he derived more satisfaction at helping Ard this spring. With Ingram's help, Richmond International Raceway held a fundraiser for Ard, which ultimately raised more than $36,000.

ALSO •   Chuck Bown  The Busch Series champion in 1990, he runs a crew school in Asheboro, N.C., where he trains students with a 10-week curriculum.  Bown, 52, works 9-to-5 during the week at the crew school and spends every weekend on the golf course. Sources say that Bown has a handicap in the single digits.  •   Tommy Ellis  The Busch Series champion in 1988, is enjoying semi-retirement in his hometown of Richmond.  Ellis, 59, owns several rental properties and two car washes, and he spends the majority of his free time sailing his 50-foot boat in Chesapeake Bay.

"It sure helps him," Ingram said. "A lot of people didn't know Sam Ard. Otherwise, there is no telling how big it would have wound up being."

Ingram still closely follows the sport. He was amused at the "controversial" finish in the UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega, when Brian Vickers won after bumping teammate Jimmie Johnson on the final lap.

"I saw in the paper that Vickers 'stole' the race," Ingram said. "He didn't steal no race. He made it to the start/finish line before anyone else did, and that is the way it is."

Ingram still attends several races a year and stays busy by building Late Model cars in his shop in Asheville. The cost of racing has been prohibitive -- Ingram says taxes and insurance for his shop cost $6,000 a year -- so he frays the costs by renting part of his building to local racers.

"I don't know how long I will even have one. I have not done much with it but basically lose money," Ingram said. "Any kind of racing has become awfully expensive. The tires, pit pass money, gasoline, fuel and food."

"It winds up being a good pile of money."

Still, Ingram says he can't imagine slowing down. He enjoys watching the Nextel Cup races on television -- his favorite announcers are Darrell Waltrip and Benny Parsons, and he is frequently a guest of NASCAR at various tracks.

"That is my life and I am going to be involved and doing functions as long as I can," Ingram said. "I love being around people and since I retired, big track owners treat me awfully nice."

• For more information about Sam Ard and how you can help this former two-time Busch Series champion, visit SamArd.com

ALSO READ:
• Dave Rodman -- Birth of the Busch Series
• David Newton -- Where are they now?
• David Newton -- Tale of a Busch Series lifer
• Ryan Smithson -- Whatever happened to ...
• NASCAR.COM -- Gone, but not forgotten
• NASCAR.COM -- Busch Series Firsts & Records