Cause of death Heart attack Name Eddie Gray | Role Race car driver Died October 25, 1969 | |
Born February 4, 1920
Gardena, California, U.S. ( 1920-02-04 ) Awards 1958/1961/1962 Winston West Series Champion Best finish 44th - 1958 Grand National Series season First race 1954 untitled race (Willow Springs Speedway) Last race 1966 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside) First win 1958 Crown America 500 (Riverside) | ||
Eddie Gray (February 4, 1920 – October 25, 1969) was a race car driver from Gardena, California. 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 Grand National races on the West Coast, capturing 4 wins, including two as an owner-driver. On May 31, 1958, Gray won a 500-mile race at Riverside International Raceway, the first NASCAR event held at the track. He also ran the 1958 Southern 500 at Darlington and attempted to make the 1960 Daytona 500.
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. Gray was a commercial pilot for Western Airlines.
Death
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. He is buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California.