January 6, 2009
By Allen Madding
“Steady Eddie” Gray from Gardena, California made his start in racing by competing in Jalopy racing. Gray then moved to late model sportsman cars where he would eventually win an estimated 100 main events. He won the NASCAR West Coast Championship in 1958, 1961, and 1962.
In 1957, he began to compete in the NASCAR Grand National Division driving Chuck Green’s No. 18 Chevrolet. In his NASCAR Grand National debut in the 60-lap event at Willow Springs Speedway, the 2.5-mile road course in Lancaster, California, Gray qualified 23rd and finished 13th. He started 18th at Ascot Stadium in Los Angeles. The event was scheduled for 200-laps on the half-mile dirt track, but the event was shortened to 150-laps due to overwhelming dust. At half-mile dirt Capitol Speedway at Sacramento, California in June, Gray qualified sixth but finished 21st due to an overheating problem after completing 118 of the scheduled 200 laps. The event actually was 199-laps due to a scoring error. When the series returned to Sacramento in September to compete at the one-mile dirt California State Fairgrounds, Gray qualified ninth and finished sixth. Gray then qualified fifth for the 200-lap event at the half-mile dirt Santa Clara Fairgrounds at San Jose, California and finished 11th in the event shortened to 116 laps because of a huge crash.
In 1958, Eddie drove Vel Miletich’s No. 98 Ford winning the Crown American 500, a 190-lap event at Riverside International Raceway’s 2.631-mile road course in June. For the Labor Day Southern 500 at Darlington, Gray was behind the wheel of Miletich’s No. 8 Ford. A crash on lap 160 of the 364-lap event dropped him to a 34th place finish. He again wheeled Miletich’s No. 98 Ford at California State Fairgrounds in Sacramento, qualifying fourth and finishing 16th after being involved in a crash.
In 1959, Gray qualified second for the scheduled 500-laps at Ascot Stadium’s 4/10th mile dirt track. In an event that was shortened to 487 laps due to rain, Gray finished 28th when an overheating problem dropped him out of the event on lap 217. When the series returned to California State Fairgrounds in Sacramento, Gray qualified Miletich’s No. 1 Ford in 19th position. Gray marched to the front of the field and won the 100-lap event on the 1-mile dirt track.
Gray opened the 1960 NASCAR Grand National season driving Charlie Chapman’s No. 38 Ford at Daytona. He finished 29th in the second 40-lap qualifier, four laps behind the leader, failing to make the field for the Daytona 500. He then drove Harry Sim’s No. 6 Ford in three events, finishing tenth in the Copper Cup 100 at Arizona State Fairgrounds 1-mile dirt track in Phoenix, Arizona, 11th in the California 250 at the 1.4-mile asphalt Marchbanks Speedway in Hanford, California, and 23rd in the 100-lap event at California State Fairgrounds in Sacramento, California.
In 1961, he fielded his own No. 98 Ford. He finished second at Marchbanks Speedway in Hanford, California, qualified on the pole at Riverside, finishing 16th, and won at Ascot Stadium in Los Angeles and at the California State Fairgrounds in Sacramento.
In 1963, Gray finished 20th in the Golden State 400 at Riverside in the No. 98 Mercury.
In 1964, He drove Ralph Shelton’s No. 98W Mercury in the Motor Trend 500 at Riverside starting 39th and finishing 12th.
In 1965, Gray drove Ralph Shelton’s No. 98 Mercury in the Motor Trend 500 at Riverside finishing sixth after starting 35th. He returned to Riverside in 1966 for the Motor Trend 500 driving Shelton’s No. 198 Mercury but lost an engine early in the event dropping to a 32nd place finish.
Eddie Gray died October 25, 1969. In nine years of NASCAR Grand National Division competition, Gray captured one pole, four wins, six top-fives, and nine top-tens.
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