Terry Ryan (racing driver) explained

Terry Ryan
Birth Date:13 May 1938
Birth Place:Davenport, Iowa, United States
Total Cup Races:12
Years In Cup:2
Best Cup Pos:40th (1977)
First Cup Race:1976 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
Last Cup Race:1977 Champion Spark Plug 400 (Michigan)
Cup Wins:0
Cup Top Tens:4
Cup Poles:0

Terry Ryan (born May 13, 1938) is an American stock car racing driver. The Davenport, Iowa native competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series between 1976 and 1977.

Racing career

Ryan competed in the USAC Stock Car and ARCA Racing Series before his NASCAR career. He ran his first USAC race in 1971 with a locally purchased car. in 1975 he won the pole for the ARCA event at Daytona International Speedway.[1]

After receiving new backing and a new car in 1975, Ryan went down to Daytona International Speedway to attempt to qualify for the 1976 Daytona 500. He posted the fifth-fastest time, but the times of A. J. Foyt, Darrell Waltrip and Dave Marcis were disallowed, leaving Ryan on the front row with fellow Iowan Ramo Stott. He finished sixth in that race, and attempted four more races that year; he failed to finish two and finished the other half in the top ten.[2]

Ryan again made the Daytona 500 in 1977 but fell victim to mechanical issues in that race and the three after that. Turning a page in the second half of the season, Ryan finished three races, steadily improving to get a top ten in his final race of the year.[3] He attempted Daytona in 1978 but failed to qualify and never again ran NASCAR.[4]

After retiring from NASCAR in 1977, Terry eventually returned to the vintage racing circuits in 1997; where he was racing as of 2009.[5] Ryan was inducted into the Quad Cities Raceway Hall of Fame in 2008.[6] His old Camaro from the NASCAR days could not be sold because of all of the rule modifications.[7]

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.Make12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031PtsRef
1976Bill Monaghan81ChevyRSDDAY
CARRCHBRIATLNWSDARMARTAL
NSVDOVCLT
RSDMCH
DAYNSVPOCTALMCHBRIDARRCHDOVMARNWSCLTCARATLONT
46th558[8]
1977RSDDAY
RCHCARATLNWSDARBRIMARTAL
NSV
DOVCLT
RSDMCH
DAY
NSVPOCTALMCH
BRIDARRCHDOVMARNWSCLTCARATL
ONT40th702[9]
1980Bill Monaghan81OldsRSDDAY
RCHCARATLBRIDARNWSMARTALNSVDOVCLTTWSRSDMCHDAYNSVPOCTALMCHBRIDARRCHDOVNWSMARCLTCARATLONTN/A0[10]
Daytona 500
YearTeamManufacturerStartFinish
1976Bill MonaghanChevrolet2align=center style="background:#FFDF9F;"6
197734align=center style="background:#EFCFFF;"18
1980Bill MonaghanOldsmobilealign=center colspan=2 style="background:#FFCFCF;"DNQ

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Surprising Ryan wins pole position. February 8, 1975. The Montreal Gazette. 18. 2013-08-14. Montreal, PQ.
  2. Web site: Driver Terry Ryan 1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Results - Racing-Reference.info. racing-reference.info. 2017-09-27.
  3. Web site: Driver Terry Ryan 1977 NASCAR Winston Cup Results - Racing-Reference.info. racing-reference.info. 2017-09-27.
  4. Web site: Driver Terry Ryan 1980 NASCAR Winston Cup Results - Racing-Reference.info. racing-reference.info. 2017-09-27.
  5. http://frontporchexpressions.com/2009/08/27/terry-ryan-still-turning-laps-at-age/ Terry Ryan: Still turning laps at age 71
  6. Web site: 5/30/76: Terry Ryan’s journey from Iowa short tracks to NASCAR superspeedways continues to this day. brock.lastcar.info. 2017-09-27.
  7. Web site: Driver Terry Ryan 1980 NASCAR Winston Cup Results - Racing-Reference.info. racing-reference.info. 2017-09-27.
  8. Web site: Driver Terry Ryan 1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Results - Racing-Reference.info. racing-reference.info. 2017-09-27.
  9. Web site: Driver Terry Ryan 1977 NASCAR Winston Cup Results - Racing-Reference.info. racing-reference.info. 2017-09-27.
  10. Web site: Driver Terry Ryan 1980 NASCAR Winston Cup Results - Racing-Reference.info. racing-reference.info. 2017-09-27.