Tommy Gale (racing driver)

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.

Tommy Gale
Born(1934-09-10)September 10, 1934
McKeesport, Pennsylvania, United States
DiedSeptember 30, 1999(1999-09-30) (aged 65)
NASCAR Cup Series career
246 races run over 17 years
Best finish15th – 1981
First race1968 American 500 (Rockingham)
Last race1986 Winston 500 (Talladega)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 4 0

Career

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 ($1,825,983.06 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]

Post-NASCAR career

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]

Motorsports results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Grand National Series

NASCAR Grand National Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 NGNC Pts Ref
1968 Lyle Stelter 56 Mercury MGR MGY RSD DAY BRI RCH ATL HCY GPS CLB NWS MAR AUG AWS DAR BLV LGY CLT ASH MGR SMR BIR CAR GPS DAY ISP OXF FDA TRN BRI SMR NSV ATL CLB BGS AWS SBO LGY DAR HCY RCH BLV HBO MAR NWS AUG CLT CAR
30
JFC N/A 0 [6]
1969 Don Culpepper 76 Ford MGR MGY RSD DAY DAY
12
DAY CAR AUG BRI ATL CLB HCY GPS RCH NWS MAR AWS DAR BLV LGY CLT MGR SMR MCH KPT GPS NCF DAY DOV TPN TRN BLV BRI NSV SMR ATL MCH SBO BGS AWS DAR HCY RCH TAL CLB MAR NWS CLT SVH AUG CAR JFC MGR TWS 90th 39 [7]
1970 Walt Valerio 03 Ford RSD DAY
15
DAY 52nd 271 [8]
Mercury DAY
31
RCH CAR SVH ATL BRI TAL NWS CLB DAR BLV LGY CLT SMR MAR MCH
36
RSD HCY KPT GPS DAY AST TPN TRN
10
BRI SMR NSV ATL CLB ONA MCH TAL BGS SBO DAR HCY RCH DOV
27
NCF NWS CLT MAR MGR CAR LGY
1971 Larry Jackson RSD DAY DAY
9
DAY
21
ONT RCH CAR HCY BRI ATL
22
CLB GPS SMR NWS MAR DAR SBO TAL
37
ASH KPT CLT DOV MCH
18
RSD HOU GPS DAY BRI AST ISP TRN
24
NSV ATL BGS ONA TAL
14
CLB HCY DAR MAR CLT DOV
23
CAR MGR RCH NWS TWS 41st 729 [9]
Richard Giachetti 44 Ford MCH
11

Winston Cup Series

NASCAR Winston Cup Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 NWCC Pts Ref
1972 Frank Vasko 03 Mercury RSD DAY
11
RCH ONT
DNQ
CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV TAL
28
MCH NSV DAR
16
RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT
23
CAR TWS 41st 1298 [10]
Richard Giachetti 44 Ford MCH
DNQ
RSD TWS DAY BRI TRN ATL
1973 Frank Vasko 03 Mercury RSD DAY
DNQ
RCH CAR BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR 57th N/A [11]
Gale Racing TAL
13
NSV CLT DOV TWS RSD ATL
37
TAL
48
NSV DAR
36
RCH DOV NWS MAR CLT CAR
Chevy MCH
25
DAY BRI
1975 Langley Racing 64 Ford RSD DAY
23
RCH CAR BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH 46th 437 [12]
Champion Racing 10 Ford DAY
18
NSV POC
28
TAL MCH DAR
22
DOV
35
NWS MAR CLT RCH CAR BRI ATL ONT
1976 Langley Racing 64 Ford RSD DAY
DNQ
CAR
15
RCH BRI ATL
35
NWS DAR
22
MAR TAL
18
NSV DOV
37
CLT RSD MCH
21
POC
34
TAL
40
MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV
25
MAR NWS CLT CAR
24
ATL ONT
17
33rd 1005 [13]
Henley Gray 19 Chevy DAY
29
NSV
1977 Langley Racing 64 Ford RSD DAY
DNQ
RCH CAR
21
ATL
22
NWS DAR
21
BRI MAR
23
TAL
15
NSV DOV
18
CLT
37
RSD MCH
23
DAY
38
NSV POC
25
TAL
14
MCH
32
BRI DAR
18
RCH
24
DOV
26
MAR NWS CLT
21
CAR
15
ATL ONT
22
26th 1689 [14]
1978 RSD DAY
25
RCH
23
CAR
14
ATL
22
BRI
22
DAR
21
NWS
27
MAR
17
TAL
16
DOV
18
CLT
24
NSV RSD MCH
21
DAY
15
NSV POC
16
TAL
20
MCH
16
BRI
21
DAR
13
RCH
24
DOV
17
MAR
27
NWS
17
CLT
31
CAR
18
ATL
DNQ
ONT
17
20th 2639 [15]
Bobby Wawak 74 Chevy ATL
31
1979 Langley Racing 64 Ford RSD DAY
DNQ
CAR
13
RCH
22
ATL
21
NWS
20
BRI
18
DAR
34
MAR
16
TAL
7
NSV
13
DOV
19
CLT
20
TWS
20
RSD MCH
33
DAY
27
NSV
28
POC
19
TAL
36
MCH
14
BRI
15
DAR
21
RCH
24
DOV
15
MAR
22
CLT
21
NWS
27
CAR
12
ATL
22
ONT
34
18th 2795 [16]
1980 RSD DAY
20
RCH
21
CAR
26
ATL
18
BRI
17
DAR
15
NWS
29
MAR
29
TAL
16
NSV
15
DOV
12
CLT
33
TWS
25
RSD DAY
28
NSV
18
POC
19
TAL
29
MCH
22
BRI
13
DAR
31
RCH
19
DOV
36
NWS
20
MAR
11
CLT
22
CAR
20
ATL
15
ONT
16
18th 2885 [17]
Ulrich Racing 40 Chevy MCH
19
1981 Langley Racing 64 Ford RSD DAY
17
CAR
19
ATL
18
BRI
15
NWS
19
DAR
18
TAL
11
NSV
17
CLT
17
TWS
12
MCH
36
DAY
19
NSV
21
POC
31
TAL
18
MCH
21
BRI
15
DAR
29
RCH
17
DOV
24
MAR
13
NWS
14
CLT
22
CAR
13
ATL
22
RSD
26
15th 3140 [18]
Junior Miller 79 Olds RCH
18
Ulrich Racing 40 Buick MAR
18
DOV
14
RSD
30
1982 Langley Racing 64 Ford DAY
16
RCH
21
BRI
17
ATL
37
CAR
12
DAR
11
NWS
DNQ
MAR TAL
16
NSV
16
DOV
13
CLT
DNQ
POC
18
RSD
Wth
MCH
18
DAY
NSV
18
POC
23
TAL
29
MCH
20
BRI
19
DAR
25
RCH
21
DOV
14
NWS
19
CLT
36
MAR
17
CAR
16
ATL
26
RSD 21st 2698 [19]
Hylton Racing 48 Buick CLT
23
1983 Langley Racing 64 Ford DAY
27
RCH
DNQ
CAR
21
ATL
23
DAR
14
NWS
19
MAR
22
TAL
13
NSV
28
DOV
27
BRI
20
CLT
35
RSD POC
25
MCH
26
DAY
23
NSV
28
POC
24
TAL
39
MCH
28
BRI
23
DAR
29
RCH
30
MAR
19
NWS
24
CLT
31
CAR
10
ATL
19
RSD 23rd 2507 [20]
Bud Reeder 02 Pontiac RCH
32
DOV
28
1984 Langley Racing 64 Ford DAY
32
RCH CAR
30
ATL
24
BRI
20
NWS
23
DAR
18
MAR TAL
19
NSV
27
DOV
23
CLT
25
RSD POC
27
MCH
33
DAY
24
NSV POC
36
TAL
DNQ
MCH BRI
11
DAR
22
RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR ATL RSD 33rd 1426 [21]
1986 Langley Racing 64 Ford DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL
25
DOV CLT RSD POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL RSD N/A 0 [22]
Daytona 500
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

References

  1. Career statistics about Tommy Gale at Racing Reference
  2. Tommy Gale's NASCAR Winston Cup Series DNQ List at Racing Reference
  3. NASCAR statistics on Tommy Gale at Driver Averages
  4. Complete NASCAR career statistics on Tommy Gale at Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet
  5. Gale won respect... not races at The Pittsburgh Press (Google News Archive Search)
  6. "Tommy Gale – 1968 NASCAR Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  7. "Tommy Gale – 1969 NASCAR Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  8. "Tommy Gale – 1970 NASCAR Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  9. "Tommy Gale – 1971 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  10. "Tommy Gale – 1972 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  11. "Tommy Gale – 1973 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  12. "Tommy Gale – 1975 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  13. "Tommy Gale – 1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  14. "Tommy Gale – 1977 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  15. "Tommy Gale – 1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  16. "Tommy Gale – 1979 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  17. "Tommy Gale – 1980 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  18. "Tommy Gale – 1981 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  19. "Tommy Gale – 1982 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  20. "Tommy Gale – 1983 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  21. "Tommy Gale – 1984 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  22. "Tommy Gale – 1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
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