Ernie Gahan

Ernie Gahan
BornErnest E. Gahan
October 12, 1926
Wakefield, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedNovember 27, 2009(2009-11-27) (aged 83)
Berwick, Maine, U.S.
Retired1976
Modified racing career
Debut season1947
Car number50
Wins300+
Championship titles
1966 NASCAR National Modified Champion[1]
Awards
Carnegie Hero
NASCAR Cup Series career
11 races run over 4 years
Best finish45th (1962)
First race1960 Martinsville Speedway
Last race1966 Oxford Plains Speedway[2]
Wins Top tens Poles
0 2 0

Ernest E. Gahan (October 12, 1926 – November 27, 2009) was an American stock car racing driver. He spent the majority of his career racing in the Modified division, and won the 1966 NASCAR Modified Championship.[1]

Racing career

Ernie Gahan started racing in 1947 at the Dover Speedway, New Hampshire, and regularly competed at the renowned tracks of the northeast including Cheshire Fairgrounds, New Hampshire; Stafford Motor Speedway, Connecticut; and in New York at Fonda Speedway and Utica-Rome Speedway in Vernon.[3] He made eleven appearances in the NASCAR Grand National Series between 1960 and 1966 with a best finish of 6th at the Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds, South Carolina.[2]

Gahan was inducted into the New England Auto Racers, the New York State Stock Car Association, and the Northeast Dirt Modified Halls of Fame.[3][4]

Carnegie Hero

Ernie Gahan along with four others rescued Marvin Panch from a burning race car at the Daytona International Speedway on February 14, 1963, and each received the prestigious Carnegie Medal for their heroism.[5][6] That same year, Gahan pulled fellow racer Bill Wimble from a burning wreck during a race in Syracuse, New York.[3]

Motorsports career 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

NASCAR Grand National Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 NGNC Pts Ref
1960 Ernie Gahan 55 Chevy CLT CLB DAY DAY DAY CLT NWS PHO CLB MAR
15 		HCY WIL BGS GPS AWS DAR PIF HBO RCH HMS CLT
13 		BGS DAY HEI MAB MBS ATL BIR NSV AWS PIF CLB SBO BGS DAR HCY CSF GSP HBO MAR NWS CLT RCH ATL 46th 2080 [7]
1961 John Koszela CLT JSP DAY
23 		DAY DAY
57 		PIF
6 		AWS HMS ATL GPS HBO BGS MAR
16 		NWS CLB HCY RCH MAR DAR CLT CLT RSD ASP CLT PIF BIR GPS BGS NOR
11 		HAS STR DAY ATL CLB MBS BRI NSV BGS AWS RCH SBO DAR HCY RCH CSF ATL MAR NWS CLT BRI GPS HBO 88th 810 [8]
1962 Rocky Hinton 84 Ford CON AWS DAY
9 		DAY DAY
12 		CON AWS SVH HBO RCH
19 		CLB NWS GPS MBS MAR BGS BRI RCH HCY CON DAR PIF CLT ATL BGS AUG RCH SBO DAY CLB ASH GPS AUG SVH MBS BRI CHT NSV HUN AWS STR BGS PIF VAL DAR HCY RCH DTS AUG MAR NWS CLT ATL 45th 2092 [9]
1966 Joan Petre 73 Ford AUG RSD DAY DAY DAY CAR BRI ATL HCY CLB GPS BGS NWS MAR DAR LGY MGR MON RCH CLT DTS ASH PIF SMR AWS BLV GPS DAY ODS BRR OXF
19 		FON ISP BRI SMR NSV ATL CLB AWS BLV BGS DAR HCY RCH HBO MAR NWS CLT CAR 111th 112 [10]
Daytona 500
Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish
1961 John Koszela Chevrolet 52 57
1962 Rocky Hinton Ford 16 12

References

  1. ^ a b "NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Central". The Third Turn. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  2. ^ a b "Ernie Gahan-NASCAR Cup Series". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Whaley, Mike (December 3, 2009). "Gahan was a NASCAR pioneer". Foster's Daily Democrat. Dover NH. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  4. ^ Boggie, Tom (April 21, 1995). "Gahan, Holiday honored". The Daily Gazette. Schenectady NY. p. 5. Retrieved May 24, 2023 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ "Ernest E. Gahan". Carnegie Hero Fund Commission. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  6. ^ "Race driver given Carnegie bronze medal for bravery". The Dispatch. Lexington NC. November 12, 1963. p. 1. Retrieved May 24, 2023 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ "Ernie Gahan – 1960 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  8. ^ "Ernie Gahan – 1961 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  9. ^ "Ernie Gahan – 1962 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  10. ^ "Ernie Gahan – 1966 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
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