Cale Gale

Cale Kelly Gale (born March 5, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver and crew chief who works for ThorSport Racing as the crew chief of their No. 99 Ford F-150 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driven by Ben Rhodes. As a driver, he previously competed in the Truck Series (earning one win at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2012), what is now the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and the ARCA Menards Series.

Racing career Karting Gale's racing career began when his father placed him on a go-kart at the age of four. In 1989 at the age of five years, he began racing competitively at Mobile Motorsports Park in Kushla, Alabama, winning five features in his first year. The following season, Gale raced a full schedule, winning 25 feature races and the track championship.

In 1991, Gale started competing at tracks other than Mobile Motorsports Park, racing at three different go-kart facilities winning a total of 12 feature races. From 1992 through 1994, he went on the road watching his father, Bubba Gale, compete in the NASCAR All-Pro touring series. After a three-year break, Gale resumed his go-kart career at Gulf Oaks Speedway in Saucier, Mississippi, winning ten features, the track championship, and also capturing his first state championship. He won his second state championship the following year, and he won seven features at Gulf Oaks.

Modifieds, Late Models and Supertrucks Gale spent 1997 and 1998 working on his Dad's crew at Mobile International Speedway. He raced in the limited modified division (an adult class) at J & J Speedway the following year, 14-year-old Gale won three feature races and received the Hardcharger Award.

In 2000, he began his full bodied car racing career at Mobile International Speedway in the pure stock division winning nine feature races, finishing third in the point standings, and capturing rookie of the year honors. Gale won 12 feature races and the super stock track championship in just his second year at the speedway. In his first late model race at MIS, he finished third in the 40-lap Lee Fields Memorial race. The same year, at the Snowball Derby in Pensacola, Florida, Gale was the fast qualifier in the super stock division in a field of 42 cars.

In the 2002 season, Gale competed in his first full year in the late model class. He was fast qualifier five times, winning four feature races. He is the only competitor in the 28 years of racing at MIS to ever capture rookie of the year honors and the late model track championship simultaneously. He competed in the Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, Gale qualified seventh in the Snowflake Late Model event and finished 14th.

In Gale’s sophomore season, 2003, at MIS in the late model series, he won four feature races and finished second in the points race just 24 points out of another championship.

In 2004, competing in the Southern All Stars Supertruck Touring Series, Gale won two feature races and also broke two qualifying records at Sunny South Raceway in Grand Bay, Alabama and Lanier Speedway (Gainesville, Georgia). He also raced in the Snowflake 100 (Snowball Derby), qualified eighth and finished fifth in a 28 car field in a brand new late model.

In 2005, Gale ventured down to Lakeland for speed week in his Chevy truck and sat on the pole. He started there and led every lap to win against Matt Martin, son of Mark Martin, and Jamie Skinner, (son of Mike Skinner). Two weeks later at New Smyrna Speedway, Gale broke the track qualifying record, and also won again taking both Florida races against some very well known drivers. At Birmingham International Raceway, Gale added another track qualifying record to his resume, breaking the old mark held by Jeff Wainwright. Also on April 23, Gale broke the three-year-old track record at Mobile Speedway in the super late model series with the time of 16.920 sec. Around July, Gale seized the opportunity to move to Spartanburg, South Carolina as 2005 Snowball Derby winner Eddie Mercer presented Gale with the chance to be the shock specialist for Phoenix Racing, owned by James Finch of Panama City, Florida. Later in the year, Finch decided to give Gale a chance to do some testing in both his Busch and Nextel Cup car.

NASCAR and ARCA 2006–2012 The 2006 racing season started out the same way as 2005, Gale and his dad going to Lakeland in the truck and getting the same results. They made the trip to New Smyrna as well and produced the same results, a track record and a win two weeks later. Gale competed in his first ARCA Re/MAX Series race in April at Nashville Superspeedway driving the No. 09 Miccosukee Resort & Gaming Dodge Charger. He qualified ninth and finished sixth. In June, Finch decided to let Gale make his first NASCAR Busch Series debut at the same track as his ARCA race, Nashville Superspeedway. He qualified tenth and finished 20th in the No. 1 Miccosukee Charger. Gale's next race was another Busch Series event at Chicagoland Speedway in July. He had to compete against 21 Cup drivers. He qualified 39th and finished 37th with a faulty transmission. Gale had come in on lap 192, and he had worked his way up to sixth place. He went a lap down, only to get it back 67 laps later. When his transmission started giving him problems he was running ninth. Bobby Jones Racing decided to let Gale run his number in the Shop ‘n Save 150 ARCA race at Gateway International Raceway. Gale started the No. 50 Miccosukee Charger in the fourth starting spot. He never went any further back. Finch made the call to take on two tires on lap 77. Gale took the lead on lap 90, and what looked like would be a victory was delayed by four green-white-checkered restarts. He held off Steve Wallace for the victory.

Gale was signed to Kevin Harvick Incorporated's driver development program for the 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons he has appeared in both NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, as well as a handful of ARCA events for the team. He has 24 career Nationwide starts, three top-tens with a best finish of fourth in the 2008 Food City 250. He has made six truck starts with the best finish of ninth in the O'Reilly 200 in 2007. He also drove a limited schedule in the No. 11 in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series in 2009.

Gale returned to KHI's Truck Series team in 2011, driving for six races with sponsorship from Rheem.

For 2012, Gale ran the full Camping World Truck Series season with Eddie Sharp Racing, driving the No. 33; in addition to competing for the series' Rookie of the Year title, he also competed in selected ARCA Racing Series events in the team's No. 6.

On November 16, 2012, Gale won his first Camping World Truck Series at the season finale Ford EcoBoost 200 in a thrilling finish, winning by .014 seconds. Gale failed to clear Kyle Busch coming out of turn 4 but pinned Busch against the outside wall from the turn to the finish line where the trucks separated finally.

2013–2017

For 2013, Gale joined Turner Scott Motorsports as crew chief for rookie driver Brandon Jones in the K&N Pro Series East; he returned to the racetrack as a driver in June at Kentucky Speedway in the Truck Series.

In 2014 and 2015, Gale competed part-time in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

In 2017, Gale ran his first Truck Series race since 2013 at Martinsville Speedway's Texas Roadhouse 200, driving the No. 99 Rheem-sponsored truck for MDM Motorsports.

2022–present In 2022, Gale ran one CARS Tour race.

Gale was set to compete full-time in the CARS Late Model Stock Tour in 2023 with Nelson Motorsports in their No. 22 car, but ended up only running the first three races of the season.

In 2026, Gale returned to crew chiefing with ThorSport Racing as Ben Rhodes' crew chief on their No. 99 truck starting at Darlington in March.

Personal life Cale is the son of late model driver Claude "Bubba" Gale Jr. His father named him Cale after NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough as he was a big fan of his. His grandfather, Claude Gale Sr, served in the military.

Gale owns the shock manufacturer and consultant group Velocity Racing Suspensions, building shocks and consulting for different teams.

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.)

Nationwide Series NASCAR Nationwide 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 Pts Ref 2006 Phoenix Racing 1 Dodge DAY CAL MXC LVS ATL BRI TEX NSH PHO TAL RCH DAR CLT DOV NSH20 KEN MLW DAY CHI37 NHA MAR GTY IRP GLN MCH34 BRI CAL RCH DOV KAN CLT 81st 309 Kevin Harvick Incorporated 33 Chevy MEM25 TEX PHO HOM 2007 DAY CAL MXC LVS ATL BRI NSH27 TEX PHO TAL RCH DAR CLT DOV NSH26 KEN13 MLW23 NHA DAY CHI GTY29 IRP14 CGV GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM29 TEX PHO HOM 61st 658 2008 77 DAY23 CAL LVS ATL20 BRI CLT30 DOV 37th 1464 33 NSH8 TEX PHO MXC TAL22 RCH DAR NSH34 KEN18 MLW12 NHA DAY CHI GTY12 IRP6 CGV GLN MCH19 BRI4 CAL RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM11 TEX PHO HOM 2009 DAY CAL LVS BRI TEX NSH PHO TAL RCH DAR CLT DOV NSH31 KEN MLW NHA DAY CHI GTY IRP IOWQL GLN MCH BRI CGV ATL RCH DOV KAN CAL CLT MEM TEX PHO HOM 138th 70 † – Qualified for Kevin Harvick.

Camping World Truck Series NASCAR Camping World Truck 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 Pts Ref 2007 Kevin Harvick Incorporated 2 Chevy DAY14 CAL ATL MAR KAN32 CLT MFD DOV TEX MCH MLW MEM KEN IRP24 NSH BRI9 GTW NHA LVS TAL22 MAR ATL TEX PHO HOM 45th 514 2008 DAY CAL ATL MAR KAN CLT MFD DOV TEX MCH MLW MEM KEN IRP NSH BRI GTW NHA LVS TAL MAR ATL TEX30 PHO HOM 96th 73 2011 Kevin Harvick Incorporated 2 Chevy DAY PHO DAR MAR NSH29 DOV CLT KAN TEX KEN IOW NSH IRP POC MCH BRI ATL CHI NHA 40th 105 33 KEN15 LVS20 TAL 21 MAR7 TEX HOM 2012 Eddie Sharp Racing 33 Chevy DAY32 MAR15 CAR17 KAN11 CLT19 DOV5 TEX8 KEN25 IOW26 CHI6 POC14 MCH20 BRI28 ATL15 IOW5 KEN19 LVS7 TAL10 MAR35 TEX15 PHO7 HOM1 12th 634 2013 Turner Scott Motorsports 30 Chevy DAY MAR CAR KAN CLT DOV TEX KEN13 IOW ELD POC MCH BRI MSP IOW CHI LVS TAL MAR TEX 37th 103 33 PHO6 HOM10 2017 MDM Motorsports 99 Chevy DAY ATL MAR KAN CLT DOV TEX GTW IOW KEN ELD POC MCH BRI MSP CHI NHA LVS TAL MAR18 TEX PHO HOM 60th 20

Whelen Southern Modified Tour NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour results Year Car owner No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pts Ref 2014 Bubba Gale 95 Chevy CRW SNM SBO LGY CRW BGS BRI14 LGY CRW SBO SNM CRW CRW CLT 29th 30 2015 CRW CRW SBO LGY CRW BGS BRIDNQ LGY SBO CLT18 28th 26

Canadian Tire Series NASCAR Canadian Tire Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Rank Pts Ref 2009 Farwell Racing Inc. 13 Chevy ASE DEL MOS ASE MPS EDM SAS MOS14 CTR11 MTL11 BAR19 RIS KWA26 22nd 572

ARCA Racing Series (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.) ARCA Racing 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 Pts Ref 2006 Phoenix Racing 09 Dodge DAY NSH6 SLM WIN KEN TOL POC MCH KAN KEN BLN POC 57th 630 Bobby Jones Racing 50 Dodge GTW1 NSH MCH6 ISF MIL TOL DSF CHI SLM TAL IOW 2007 Kevin Harvick Incorporated 33 Chevy DAY USA NSH3* SLM KAN WIN KEN TOL IOW POC MCH BLN KEN2 POC NSH4 ISF MIL GTW DSF CHI SLM TAL TOL 48th 680 2011 Kevin Harvick Incorporated 33 Chevy DAY TAL SLM TOL NJE CHI POC MCH19* WIN BLN IOW2 IRP POC ISF MAD DSF SLM KAN5 TOL 39th 595 2012 Eddie Sharp Racing 6 Chevy DAY13 54th 405 33 MOB1* SLM TAL TOL ELK POC MCH WIN NJE IOW CHI IRP POC BLN ISF MAD SLM DSF KAN

CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.) CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Pts Ref 2023 Nelson Motorsports 22 Toyota SNM19 FLC24 HCYDNQ ACE NWS LGY DOM CRW HCY ACE TCM WKS AAS SBO TCM CRW 47th 24

CARS Pro Late Model Tour (key) CARS Pro Late Model Tour results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pts Ref 2022 N/A 24C Chevy CRW HCY GPS FCS3 TCM HCY ACE MMS TCM ACE SBO CRW 32nd 30

Season still in progress Ineligible for series points