About Tommy Gale
Tommy Gale, 65, American NASCAR race car driver.
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Full Biography
|Tommy Gale (September 10, 1934 – September 30, 1999) was an American 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.
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 ($2,008,913.59 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.
Gale's only three DNQs came at the 1972 Miller High Life 500, the 1973 Daytona 500 and at the 1984 Talladega 500.
Gale's strongest performances are on short oval tracks where he finished an average of twentieth place. His weakness would be found on road courses; where a finish of 28th place would be expected out of Gale. His primary vehicle throughout his career was the No. 64 Ford machine owned by fellow NASCAR driver Elmo Langley.
Post-NASCAR career
After 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.
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
Winston Cup Series
Daytona 500
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Gale_(racing_driver)
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Tommy Gale's archived record and the sources above.
1.In which city was Tommy Gale born?
- A.Daytona Beach, Florida
- B.Elizabeth, Pennsylvania
- C.Talladega, Alabama
- D.McKeesport, Pennsylvaniacorrect
Tommy Gale was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania.
Source: introduction
2.What year was Tommy Gale born?
- A.1938
- B.1934correct
- C.1932
- D.1936
Tommy Gale was born on September 10, 1934.
Source: introduction
3.What was the primary vehicle driven by Tommy Gale throughout his career?
- A.No. 64 Fordcorrect
- B.No. 64 Pontiac
- C.No. 64 Dodge
- D.No. 64 Chevrolet
Tommy Gale's primary vehicle throughout his career was the No. 64 Ford machine.
Source: career section
4.At what age did Tommy Gale begin his career as a NASCAR Cup Series rookie?
- A.34correct
- B.40
- C.25
- D.30
Tommy Gale started as a NASCAR Cup Series rookie when he was 34 years old.
Source: career section
5.How many total laps did Tommy Gale lead during his career?
- A.3,000
- B.30
- C.3correct
- D.300
Tommy Gale led only three laps throughout his racing career.
Source: career section
6.What was the name of the business Tommy Gale started after retiring from NASCAR?
- A.A racing school
- B.A car dealership
- C.A logistics firm
- D.A trucking businesscorrect
After retiring from NASCAR, Tommy Gale started a trucking business in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania.
Source: post-NASCAR career
7.In which city did Tommy Gale operate his trucking business?
- A.Philadelphia
- B.Pittsburgh
- C.McKeesport
- D.Elizabethcorrect
Tommy Gale started a trucking business in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania.
Source: post-NASCAR career
8.Which of these races was a DNQ for Tommy Gale?
- A.1977 Rookie of the Year race
- B.1968 Miller High Life 500
- C.1986 Talladega 500
- D.1973 Daytona 500correct
One of Tommy Gale's three DNQs occurred at the 1973 Daytona 500.
Source: career section
9.Who owned the No. 64 Ford machine driven by Tommy Gale?
- A.Elmo Langleycorrect
- B.A local businessman
- C.A NASCAR organization
- D.His son
The No. 64 Ford machine was owned by fellow NASCAR driver Elmo Langley.
Source: career section
10.What was the average finish for Tommy Gale on road courses?
- A.20th place
- B.22nd place
- C.27th place
- D.28th placecorrect
A finish of 28th place would be expected for Tommy Gale on road courses.
Source: career section
11.In what year did Tommy Gale's NASCAR career end?
- A.1999
- B.1986correct
- C.1990
- D.1977
Tommy Gale raced from 1968 to 1986.
Source: introduction
12.What was the total amount of winnings Tommy Gale earned, unadjusted for inflation?
- A.$121,086
- B.$683,965correct
- C.$75,239
- D.$2,008,913
Tommy Gale managed to make $683,965 in total winnings during his career.
Source: career section
13.At what age did Tommy Gale retire from NASCAR?
- A.65
- B.51correct
- C.45
- D.60
Tommy Gale competed until his retirement at the age of 51.
Source: career section
14.What award was Tommy Gale a runner-up for in 1977?
- A.Sportsman of the Year
- B.Rookie of the Yearcorrect
- C.Driver of the Year
- D.Most Improved Driver
Tommy Gale became one of the runners-up for the 1977 NASCAR Rookie of the Year award.
Source: introduction
15.How many miles did Tommy Gale race in top-level professional stock car racing?
- A.500 miles
- B.75,239.7 milescorrect
- C.60,655 miles
- D.121,086.6 miles
Tommy Gale competed in a grueling 75,239.7 miles of top-level professional stock car racing.
Source: career section
16.On what type of track did Tommy Gale have his strongest performances?
- A.Road courses
- B.Short oval trackscorrect
- C.Dirt tracks
- D.Super speedways
Tommy Gale's strongest performances were on short oval tracks where he averaged a twentieth-place finish.
Source: career section
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