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Ward Honored By Gov. Sanford

South Carolina State Champion Visits Capitol

By Official Release
November 12, 2008 - 4:17pm

Marty Ward’s post season has been nearly as busy as his racing season.

In addition to winning the Greenville-Pickens Speedway track championship and finishing third overall in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, Ward also earned the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series South Carolina state championship. Recently, Ward’s achievement was recognized by Governor Mark Sanford in a visit to the state capitol in Columbia.

Ward had 13 wins, 22 top fives and 22 top 10s in 22 starts racing at Greenville-Pickens.

The 43-year-old Ward, from Marietta, S.C., was accompanied on the visit with his wife, Gina, and son Jacob, 7.

“That was awesome,” Ward said. “He knows a lot more about racing than I thought he did. We sat down and got to talking – he’s really a nice guy.”

South Carolina has a long history in NASCAR. Stars such as David Pearson, Ralph Earnhardt and Cale Yarborough have won NASCAR South Carolina state championships, and Greenville-Pickens is one of NASCAR’s oldest sanctioned short tracks.

It was the fifth Late Model championship at Greenville-Pickens for Ward, who had previously won track titles in 1990-91 and 2002-03.

“You really can’t put it into words,” said Ward when asked to describe the success he had in 2008. “When we started out the year, we weren’t running for points or anything. The season got going and you couldn’t have asked for a better year. It’s been a great year.”

Just 26 drivers out of the thousands of participants in NASCAR’s grassroots, local-racing program – which encompasses tracks throughout the United States and Canada – earned a similar honor as U.S. state or Canadian province champion.

The NASCAR South Carolina champion was determined by the driver’s highest 18 finishes at NASCAR-sanctioned tracks within the state.

The crowning of champions in a U.S. state or Canadian province continues a tradition of honoring the best short-track racers which dates back to the earliest days of NASCAR.

Ward was also honored Friday, Nov. 7 at the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet at the Rio All-Suite Hotel in Las Vegas, along with the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion, U.S. state and Canadian provincial champions, track champions and special award winners.

The trip to Las Vegas also included a celebration of another sort, as one of Ward’s crew members took advantage of the opportunity to get married.

“They had been talking about getting married for a while,” said Ward, who took nine of his crew members with him to the awards banquet. “I told him if you come out to Vegas with me, I’ll make sure you get married.”

Since its inception, NASCAR’s local racing series has served as a springboard in the careers of many top drivers. NASCAR stars Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Kurt and Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Bobby Labonte, Jamie McMurray, Elliott Sadler and Brian Vickers all began their careers racing their local short tracks.

PAST NASCAR SOUTH CAROLINA STATE CHAMPIONS

All-American Whelen Series

Year	Driver	Hometown
2008	Marty Ward	Marietta, S.C.
2007	David Roberts	Simpsonville, S.C.

Late Model Sportsman

Year	Driver	Hometown
1980	David Pearson	Spartanburg, S.C.
1978	Buddy Howard Jr	Greenville, S.C.
1977	Buddy Howard Jr	Greenville, S.C.
1976	Don Sprouse	Greer, S.C.
1975	Bob Jarvis	Greenville, S.C.
1974	Harold Fountain	Martinez, Ga.
1973	Don Miller	Winston-Salem, S.C.
1972	Don Miller	Winston-Salem, SC.
1971	Johnny Allen	Greenville, S.C.
1970	Sam Sommers	Savannah, Ga.
1969	Harold Bumgardner	Kings Mt., N.C.
1968	Ralph Earnhardt	Kannapolis, N.C.

Grand American Stock Car

Year	Driver	Hometown
1981	Joseph D. Biship	Greenville, S.C.
1980	Billy Howard Jr.	Greenville, S.C.
1979	Billy Howard Jr.	Greenville, S.C.

Limited Sportsman

Year	Driver	Hometown
1981	Kevin Rainey	Greenville, S.C.
1980	Will McGrew Jr.	Greenville, S.C.
1979	Jimmy Mann	Greenville, S.C.
1978	Greg Porter	Easley, S.C.
1977	Greg Porter	Easley, S.C.
1976	Mike Owens	Myrtle Beach, S.C.
1975	Danny Smith	Myrtle Beach, S.C.
1974	Rodger Gentry	Greenville, S.C.
1962	Floyd Powell	Chesnee, S.C.
1961	Floyd Powell	Chesnee, S.C.
1959	Ralph Earnhardt	Kannapolis, N.C.

Hobby

Year	Driver	Hometown
1974	Mike Owens	Myrtle Beach, S.C.
1973	Gene Morgan	Travelers Rest, S.C.
1972	Gene Morgan	Travelers Rest, S.C.
1971	Campbell King	Flat Rock, N.C.
1970	Harold Brookshire	Travelers Rest, S.C.
1969	Leonard Sharpe	Lexington, S.C.
1968	Rick Hunter	Greenville, S.C.
1967	James D. Harris	Greenville, S.C.
1966	Johnnie Cooper	Columbia, S.C.
1965	Raymond Brown	Greenville, S.C.
1964	Jack Cochram	Greenville, S.C.
1963	Jim Taylot	Owings, S.C.
1962	Bill Coker	Greer, S.C.
1961	Carral Stokes	Hartsville, S.C.
1960	Harrison Williams	Woodruff, S.C.
1959	David Pearson	Whitney, S.C.

Sportsman

Year	Driver	Hometown
1967	Ralph Earnhardt	Kannapolis, N.C.
1966	Ralph Earnhardt	Kannapolis, N.C.
1965	Ralph Earnhardt	Kannapolis, N.C.
1964	Joe Penland	W. Columbia, S.C.
1963	Ralph Earnhardt	Kannapolis, N.C.
1960	Cale Yarborough	Timmonsville, N.C.
1959	Earl Moss	Creedmoor, N.C.
1958	Bobby Isaac	Newton, N.C.
1957	Dink Widenhouse	Concord, N.C.
1956	Ralph Earnhardt	Kannapolis, N.C.
1954	Johnny Deaver	Columbia, S.C.
1953	Bill Widenhouse	Concord, N.C.