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Tom Pistone

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Tom Pistone
Pistone at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2009
Born (1929-03-17) March 17, 1929 (age 95)
Chicago, Illinois, United States
NASCAR Cup Series career
130 races run over 11 years
Best finish6th (1959)
First race1955 Wilkes 160 (North Wilkesboro)
Last race1968 Tidewater 250 (Hampton)
First win1959 Northern 300 (Trenton)
Last win1959 Richmond 200 (Richmond)
Wins Top tens Poles
2 53 5
NASCAR Grand National East Series career
1 race run over 1 year
First race1972 Fun Sun 200 (Myrtle Beach)
Last race1972 Fun Sun 200 (Myrtle Beach)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
NASCAR Convertible Division career
34 races run over 3 years
Best finish21st (1956)
First race1956 Race #1 (Daytona Beach & Road Course)
Last race1959 Race #15 (Charlotte Fairgrounds)
First win1956 Race #22 (Soldier Field)
Last win1959 Old Dominion 500 (Martinsville)
Wins Top tens Poles
2 16 1
Statistics current as of October 27, 2013.

"Tiger" Tom Pistone (born March 17, 1929 in Chicago, Illinois, USA) is a former NASCAR Grand National driver from Chicago.[1] He made his Grand National debut in 1955.[1] He won two races and finished 6th in championship points in the 1959 season for Carl Rupert, his best season statistically.[1] He was away from NASCAR in 1963 and 1964, but returned in 1965 to drive in 33 races for Glen Sweet and Emory Gilliam, a career high, but only 8 top tens and a 32nd-place points finish came of it.[1] His final and 130th cup race came in 1968.[1] He won two NASCAR Convertible Division races.[1]

In 1960, he wore a life preserver and an oxygen tube in his car while racing at Daytona for fear of running into the lake in the middle of the speedway and drowning. This happened after Tommy Irwin ran into the lake in the first qualifying race. Irwin did not drown, however.[2]

On October 17, 2010, Pistone was one of the year's 15 inductees to the Racers' Reunion Hall of Fame, located at Memory Lane Museum in Mooresville NC.[3]

Still active in racing at age 81, Pistone has a thriving race car parts business in Charlotte, NC, and can often be found mentoring young drivers at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He prepares and crews for several Legends and Bandolero drivers in the Winter Heat and Summer Shootout series.[4] His grandson, Chase Pistone, races in the Camping World Truck Series.

In April 2011, Pistone appeared on an episode of The History Channel's American Pickers in which he sold items to be placed in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Driving statistics". Racing-Reference. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
  2. ^ Dykes, Dan. Yet Another Dose of Racin’ Remembrances, Racing Through Time, Volume 1, Number 41, October 14, 2009, Retrieved 2010-03-20
  3. ^ http://www.thatsracin.com/2010/11/23/52805/museum-works-to-preserve-racing.html# Archived 2011-01-25 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ http://www.pistonetigertom.com
  5. ^ "NASCAR Challenge". Top NASCAR Races. Season 2. 2011-04-11. The History Channel. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |seriesno= and |serieslink= (help)
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