EDDIE GRAY - 2/04/1920 - 10/25/1969
Gray raced Jalopies with the California Jalopy Association (CJA), and became one of the top short track Stock Car racers in Southern California at tracks like Saugus Speedway, (where he was a track champion), Ascot Park and Orange Show Speedway, earning the nickname "Steady" Eddie Gray. He became champion of a predecessor of the NASCAR Winston West Series in 1958, 1961 and 1962. The series was then known as NASCAR Pacific Coast Late Model (PCLM). Gray also participated in NASCAR Cup races on the West Coast, capturing four wins, including two as an owner-driver. Grays first Cup race came at Willow Springs Speedway in Lancaster, CA in 1957. He started ninth, and finished fifth, in a race won by Marvin Panch. He only ran five Cup races that season. On May 31, 1958, Gray won a 500-mile race at Riverside International Raceway, the first NASCAR event held at the track. Parnelli Jones won the pole and led 147 of 190 laps, before being involved in a crash. Gray started sixth and assumed the lead when Jones crashed out, and led to the checkers. The next four behind Gray was Lloyd Dane, Jack Smith, Lee Petty and Bob Keefe. Only Dane was able to keep pace and stay on the lead lap. Gray only started three races in 1958. He made the long trek east to run the 1958 Southern 500 at Darlington, but crashed out after only 136 laps. His other start came at the California State Fairgrounds in Sacramento. He also
crashed in that race and finished 16th. 1959 saw Gray only run two Cup events. The first came at Ascot Stadium in Los Angeles CA. It was 500 laps on a 4/10 mile dirt track. Gray fell out with overheating issues after 217 laps and finished 28th. His other start was much more successful. Back at Sacramento, he started 19th, and moved through the field to claim the win. It was a tight battle as four cars finished on the lead lap on the big one mile dirt oval. The rest of the top five was Scotty Cain, Danny Weinberg, Bob Ross, and Lucky Long. 1960 saw Gray drive all the way across country to race in the Daytona 500. He finished 29th in twin 100 mile qualifying race, and missed the field. He made three other starts with best finishes of 10th at
First Cup win - Riverside 1958
PCLM Series 1965
Phoenix, and 11th at Marchbanks Speedway in Hanford CA. 1961 was his best season. He made four Cup starts. Back at Marchbanks Speedway; he started third, but could not keep pace with race winner Fireball Roberts as Gray came home second. The next race he ran was at Riverside Speedway where he won the pole, and led the first 12 laps. But his car had issues as the race wore on, and he ended up six laps down in 16th. The next race saw great improvement. Back at the tight bull ring of Ascot Stadium, Gray would start second and drive away from the field to get the win by more than a lap over second place finisher Don Noel. His final race of that year came at Sacramento. Again, Gray couldn't be caught as he drove off from the
field winning by more than a lap. Bob Ross was second, followed by Danny Weinberg, and Frank Secrist, all a lap down. This would be Gray's final Cup win. From 1963 through 1966 he only made one Cup start per year; all coming at Riverside. His best finish was sixth in 1965. For his Cup career he made a total of 22 starts, and claimed four wins. He added six top five, and nine top ten finishes. Gray suffered a severe heart attack while driving in the Permatex 100 race for Late Model Sportsman cars at Riverside International Raceway in January 1969, and died nine months later while undergoing heart surgery. Gray was inducted in the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame in its first class (2002).
All Photos copyright and are property of their respective owners