Tommy Gale | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Born | McKeesport, Pennsylvania, United States | September 10, 1934||||||
Died | September 30, 1999 | (aged 65)||||||
NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
246 races run over 17 years | |||||||
Best finish | 15th – 1981 | ||||||
First race | 1968 American 500 ( Rockingham) | ||||||
Last race | 1986 Winston 500 ( Talladega) | ||||||
|
Tommy Gale (September 10, 1934 – September 30, 1999) was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race car driver from McKeesport, Pennsylvania who raced from 1968 to 1986. He ended up becoming one of the runners-up for the 1977 NASCAR Rookie of the Year award.
Gale started as a NASCAR Cup Series rookie when he was 34 years old and competed until his retirement at the age of 51. Leading only three laps of his 60,655-lap spanning career, Gale managed to make $683,965 in total winnings ($1,901,148.62 when adjusted for inflation). While starting in 27th place on average, his average finishes were 22nd place after competing in a grueling 75,239.7 miles or 121,086.6 kilometres of top-level professional stock car racing. [1]
His only three DNQs came at the 1972 Miller High Life 500, the 1973 Daytona 500 and at the 1984 Talladega 500. [2]
Gale's strongest performances are on short oval tracks where he finished an average of 20th place. His weakness would be found on road courses; where a finish of 28th place would be expected out of Gale. [3] His primary vehicle throughout his career was the #64 Ford machine owned by fellow NASCAR driver Elmo Langley. [4]
After Tommy Gale retired from NASCAR, he decided to focus on his son and started a trucking business in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania; which is near his hometown of McKeesport. [5]
( key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish |
---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | Walt Valerio | Mercury | 29 | 31 |
1971 | Larry Jackson | Mercury | 20 | 21 |
1972 | Frank Vasco | Mercury | 26 | 11 |
1973 | DNQ | |||
1975 | Langley Racing | Ford | 24 | 23 |
1976 | DNQ | |||
1977 | DNQ | |||
1978 | 38 | 25 | ||
1979 | DNQ | |||
1980 | 29 | 20 | ||
1981 | 28 | 17 | ||
1982 | 42 | 16 | ||
1983 | 25 | 27 | ||
1984 | 30 | 32 |
Tommy Gale | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Born | McKeesport, Pennsylvania, United States | September 10, 1934||||||
Died | September 30, 1999 | (aged 65)||||||
NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
246 races run over 17 years | |||||||
Best finish | 15th – 1981 | ||||||
First race | 1968 American 500 ( Rockingham) | ||||||
Last race | 1986 Winston 500 ( Talladega) | ||||||
|
Tommy Gale (September 10, 1934 – September 30, 1999) was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race car driver from McKeesport, Pennsylvania who raced from 1968 to 1986. He ended up becoming one of the runners-up for the 1977 NASCAR Rookie of the Year award.
Gale started as a NASCAR Cup Series rookie when he was 34 years old and competed until his retirement at the age of 51. Leading only three laps of his 60,655-lap spanning career, Gale managed to make $683,965 in total winnings ($1,901,148.62 when adjusted for inflation). While starting in 27th place on average, his average finishes were 22nd place after competing in a grueling 75,239.7 miles or 121,086.6 kilometres of top-level professional stock car racing. [1]
His only three DNQs came at the 1972 Miller High Life 500, the 1973 Daytona 500 and at the 1984 Talladega 500. [2]
Gale's strongest performances are on short oval tracks where he finished an average of 20th place. His weakness would be found on road courses; where a finish of 28th place would be expected out of Gale. [3] His primary vehicle throughout his career was the #64 Ford machine owned by fellow NASCAR driver Elmo Langley. [4]
After Tommy Gale retired from NASCAR, he decided to focus on his son and started a trucking business in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania; which is near his hometown of McKeesport. [5]
( key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish |
---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | Walt Valerio | Mercury | 29 | 31 |
1971 | Larry Jackson | Mercury | 20 | 21 |
1972 | Frank Vasco | Mercury | 26 | 11 |
1973 | DNQ | |||
1975 | Langley Racing | Ford | 24 | 23 |
1976 | DNQ | |||
1977 | DNQ | |||
1978 | 38 | 25 | ||
1979 | DNQ | |||
1980 | 29 | 20 | ||
1981 | 28 | 17 | ||
1982 | 42 | 16 | ||
1983 | 25 | 27 | ||
1984 | 30 | 32 |