Bud Ward Profile

Bud grew up going to Riverside. Growing up and watching his dad Buford and uncles R.C. and Dan race, he couldn't wait to get started racing. At 16, Bud's racing career began at Riverside Speedway. In his first race season, he won the stock car championship. In the next year, and through 1995, Bud raced in the late model class at Riverside, taking honors as track champion in 1982, '83, '88, '89, '90, '91, '93, '94, and '95.

Highlights of the 80's & 90's: During his 18 years of running late models at Riverside, Bud also would take the car and race at other area tracks. He has been seen racing at Dyersburg, Milan, and a few others. Bud varied from the late model and ran a sprint car for the 1985 season. Back to the late model in '86. He decided to double his racing fun in the season with the addition running a stock car in the 1987 season. Does this guy love racing, or what?!?! However, the 1987 season was cut short due to a broken wrist that he received in a racing accident.

Transition to mini-stocks: In 1993, Bud's sister, Sissy Swindell, decided to give racing a try. They built a mini stock for her to race when she is in town and the green team began to grow. Bud drove the 55 mini the weeks that Sissy was out of town tending to other matters of racing interests. (See her bio) Bud doubled-up again raced late model and mini-stock from 93-95, once again showing what an enthusiastic driver he is. He retired from the late-model class after the 1995 season. In 1996, he only drove the mini a few weeks while Sissy was gone. He really missed racing every week. So, he began planning to build a mini stock for himself for the 1997 season. However, Sissy, pregnant with her 3rd child, took the '97 racing season off and gave Bud room to race the mini full-time and win the championship in the mini stock.

Growing mini-stock team: In 1998 we had 2 mini's with Bud & Sissy driving. Not only did Bud earn the mini stock championship that year, but he also took the Driver of the Year award at Memphis Motorsports Park. He was Mini-Stock champ there from 1997-2002. We added the third car in 2003. Riverside brought back the mini-stocks that same year. Bud has won the mini-stock championship the last three years. Yes, he's the man.

Last updated 3/29/2007