updated cup_poles cup_wins first_cup_race birth_date total_gneast_races gneast_poles cup_top_tens image name first_gneast_race years_in_gneast birth_place total_cup_races gneast_wins gneast_top_tens last_cup_win last_gneast_race first_cup_win last_cup_race best_cup_pos years_in_cup article_title
october 27 , 2013 5 2 1955 wilkes 160 -lrb- north wilkesboro -rrb- 17 march 1929 1 0 53 tompistone23june2009.jpg tom pistone 1972 fun sun 200 -lrb- myrtle beach -rrb- 1 chicago , illinois , united states 130 0 0 1959 richmond 200 -lrb- richmond -rrb- 1972 fun sun 200 -lrb- myrtle beach -rrb- 1959 northern 300 -lrb- trenton -rrb- 1968 tidewater 250 -lrb- hampton -rrb- 6th -lrb- 1959 -rrb- 11 tom pistone

tom pistone

`` tiger '' tom pistone -lrb- born march 17 , 1929 in chicago , illinois , usa -rrb- is a former nascar grand national driver from chicago .
he made his grand national debut in 1955 .
he won two races and finished 6th in championship points in the 1959 season for carl rupert , his best season statistically .
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 .
his final and 130th cup race came in 1968 .
he won two nascar convertible division races .
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 .
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 .
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 .
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 .
