Wikipedia

Bud Moore (NASCAR owner)

Not to be confused withBud Moore (racing driver).

Walter Maynard"Bud"Moore Jr.(May 25, 1925[1]– November 27, 2017) was aNASCARcar owner who operated theBud Moore Engineeringteam. A decorated veteran ofWorld War II,he described himself as "an old country mechanic who loved to make 'em run fast".[2]

Bud Moore
Moore in 1985
Birth nameWalter Maynard Moore Jr.
Born(1925-05-25)May 25, 1925
Spartanburg, South Carolina,U.S.
DiedNovember 27, 2017(2017-11-27)(aged 92)
Spartanburg, South Carolina, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States
Service/ branchArmy
Years of service1943–1945
RankSergeant
Unit359th Infantry Regiment,90th Infantry Division
Battles / wars
AwardsMilitary:
NASCAR:
Spouse(s)Betty Moore
Children3
Other workNASCARcrew chief (1950–1989)
NASCAR team owner (1961–2000)
Websitewww.budmoore.us/nascarsprint/index.php

Moore served in World War II as a member of theUnited States Army.A machine gunner, he participated in theNormandy landingsas part of the4th Infantry Division,landing onUtah Beach.After Normandy, he went on to fight in theBattle of the Bulgeand ended his military service as a sergeant.

When he returned from the war, he began a career instock car racingas acrew chief.In the 1960s, he opened Bud Moore Engineering, a team that went on to win two NASCARGrand National Serieschampionships and 63 races for 37 years until its shutdown in 1999. He was inducted into theNASCAR Hall of Famein 2011.

Early and personal life

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Moore was born on May 25, 1925, on a farm inSpartanburg, South Carolina,to Walter M. "Dick" Moore Sr.; he was one of ten children, including six brothers and three sisters.[1]After attending Jenkins and Cleveland Junior High, he started going toSpartanburg High School.After receiving his driver's license at the age of 14, he and friendsJoe EubanksandCotton Owensraced their cars in the streets.[3]

He met his wife, Betty Clark, while in high school. The two dated until Moore departed for the military[4]and got engaged prior to his service.[5]When Moore returned, they married and had three sons, Greg, Daryl, and Brent.[6]They also have five grandchildren.[7]Greg and Daryl were also involved in NASCAR, serving as team consultants forFenley-Moore Motorsportsalongside their father; Daryl served as Chief Engine Builder; Greg had also worked asBud Moore Engineering's team manager.[8]When his NASCAR career ended, Moore returned to South Carolina and became a farmer, raisingSanta Gertrudis cattlewith Greg and Daryl.[9]

There is also a South Carolina-born NASCAR driver namedBud Moorewho raced in the 1960s and 1970s.[10]Nicknamed "Little Bud", the driver has no relation to the owner.[11]

Moore died on November 27, 2017, in Spartanburg at the age of 92.[12]

Military career

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On June 2, 1943, a day after graduating high school and a week after his 18th birthday, Moore wasdraftedinto the United States military. Although he expressed interest in joining theNavyas Eubanks, Owens, and Moore's brother Charles were also in the branch, he did not have a college education (which was required for those entering the Navy) and a naval officer attempted to place him in theMarine Corps.Unhappy with this, Moore instead joined the Army. After training atCamp Van Dornin Mississippi, he went to New Jersey'sFort Dix,[13]where he was assigned to the90th Infantry Division,D Company, 359th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, 1st Platoon as a machine gunner.[14]As a member of the 1st Platoon, Moore's machine gun was.30 caliber water-cooled,described as a heavy weapon.[15]

Moore and his group were not expecting to participate in theNormandy landingsin 1944. In March, they were told they would be involved in an amphibious assault off the English coast, with plans of adry runupon completing training inKnighton, Powys.The group landed inLiverpoolbefore going to an army camp inWales, South Yorkshire.On June 4, two days before the landings, Moore observed a map produced by officers and realized the land depicted was not England, but France, and that he would be involved in the invasion of Normandy. The regiment was reattached to the4th Infantry Divisionfor the operation.[16]

On June 6, Moore's division landed onUtah Beach,where they faced German resistance and other obstacles; at one point, as he waded through the water, Moore stepped in a shell hole and fell in, causing him to go underwater before recovering. Upon reaching land, he hid behind a sand dune before continuing. By nightfall, the division had reached half a mile inland and started settling into foxholes when the82ndand101st Airborne Divisionsarrived to divert German attention. There was also discussion among Moore's division about GeneralDwight D. Eisenhowerrecalling them due to the lack of progress made at nearbyOmaha Beach,though they stayed at Utah. After clearing the beach, Moore joined GeneralGeorge S. PattonatPériers, Manche.[17]At the city, Moore witnessed American airplanes dropping bombs along a ten-mile strip near the city, an event nicknamed "The Big Push".[14]While he was nearParis,Moore's group was assigned to capture theCotentin Peninsulabefore returning to Patton. Instead of Moore's group, GeneralPhilippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque's menliberated Paris.[18]

After leaving France, Moore's group crossed theSiegfried Lineand reached theRhinebefore being withdrawn toVerdun,where they stayed for three weeks without supplies. As it turned out, the Germans had built their infantry along the Siegfried Line and had launched theBattle of the Bulge,which forced Moore's division to fight their way back to the line and losing approximately 12,000 men in the process.[19]On one mission during the battle, Moore and a German-speaking Jeep driver entered a German-occupied town that also served as aWehrmachtarea regimental headquarters. The two began to inspect houses and spotted a German soldier running into a wooden hut. Moore attacked the hut, causing it to catch fire and prompting the soldier to surrender; he was tied onto the hood of the Jeep. As they continued through the town, they noticed more Germans hiding in a rock house, which Moore also fired upon. Although the Germans displayed a white flag of surrender, they did not exit the building. Moore's driver ordered the captured soldier to convince his comrades to surrender before Moore summoned artillery. When they left the house, Moore discovered 15 soldiers and four officers among the surrendering German troops. He was awarded theBronze Star Medalfor his work in the operation.[14]

As he continued through Germany intoCzechoslovakia,Moore was promoted to sergeant, during which he earned a second Bronze Star after his involvement in a battle located in an abandoned hospital.[14]He also received fivePurple Hearts,four for shrapnel damage and one for taking machine gun fire to the hip. In spite of his injuries, he was often sent back into battle after brief stays in the hospital; by February 1945, he and a lieutenant were the only men in the group to have fought in Normandy. At one point, Moore and the lieutenant were to receive a 90-dayfurloughand return to the United States in March, but Moore was injured and his reprieve papers were lost, forcing him to remain in Europe.[20]

In December 1944, Moore participated in theSiege of Bastogne,providing support for the besieged 101st Airborne Division.[20]Two months later, Moore's division was replaced by the5th,though he stayed at the Rhine.[21]Germanysurrenderedin May, ending the war in Europe. At the time, Moore was inPlzeň,Czechoslovakia, learning of the German defeat fromRed Armysoldiers.[22]Despite the victory in Europe, Moore wondered about the possibility of fighting in thePacific Waragainst Japan, though theatomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasakiin August ended speculation of such combat.[23]Toreturn troops home,the government instituted apoints systemin which the most decorated troops leaving first. With his medals and service time of nine months and fourteen days without a break, he was among the first to return to the United States,[24]doing so aboard theUSSExcelsior;the ship was named after theExcelsior MillsinUnion, South Carolina,near Moore's hometown of Spartanburg.[14]He was formally discharged on November 15, 1945.[25]

Despite his honors, Moore distanced himself from his allies. He received the information of his company members but did not contact them out of worry that doing so would lead to him finding out they werekilled in action.[25]He also turned down offers to return to the beaches of Europe, saying he "left too many friends over there."[24]In 1994, the 50th anniversary of the Normandy landings, Moore was invited byUnocal Corporationto follow his route during the war from Utah Beach to Czechoslovakia.[25]He declined the offer, stating he "would have gone, but when racing is your livelihood and there's a race on the schedule for a certain weekend, you about have to be there."[14]

NASCAR

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Main article:Bud Moore Engineering
The Bud Moore Engineering No. 15 car in 1983, driven byDale Earnhardt.In two seasons with Moore (1982 and 1983), Earnhardt won three races.[26][27]

Upon returning to the States, Moore reunited with Eubanks and opened a used car business,[24]working on cars used inmoonshinerunning.[28]The two traded a1939 Fordfor a race car and started competing in motorsports.[24]After racing in smaller series, the two moved intoNASCARin 1950,[8]debuting in theinaugural Southern 500atDarlington Raceway;Eubanks drove the No. 4 car to a 19th-place finish with Moore serving as his crew chief.[29]In 1956 and 1957, driverBuck Bakerwon theGrand National Serieschampionships with Moore as crew chief.[8]During his career as a crew chief, Moore won 49 races. His last race as a crew chief was the1989 Atlanta Journal 500atAtlanta International Raceway,working withBrett Bodineas he finished 23rd.[30]

During the 1960s, Moore opened his own NASCAR team,Bud Moore Engineering,operating in Spartanburg.[8]In 1961, the team fielded cars for Owens,Fireball Roberts,Tommy Irwin,andJoe Weatherly.In Moore's first race as an owner, Weatherly won theDaytona 500 Qualifying Raceand followed it with a second-place finish at theDaytona 500.[31]Weatherly would win eight of his 24 races driving Moore'sPontiacs.[32]Weatherly also ended up winning the 1962 and 1963 NASCAR Grand National championships, again driving for Moore, with 12 combined wins.[32]After the 1963 season, Moore switched from Pontiac toFord Motor Company'sMercurydivision.[28]That year,Billy Wademanaged to win five poles and four Grand National races in a row driving for Moore.[33]Buddy Bakerwon three straightTalladega Superspeedwayraces in 1975 and 1976,[34]and in 1978,Bobby Allisonwon theDaytona 500driving for Moore.[35]

Moore also worked with fellow Ford teamWood Brothers Racing,teaching team ownersLeonardand Eddie Wood the use of theslide ruleto determine a car's horsepower on adynamometer.[24]In a 2015 online chat with fans, Moore considered the Woods to be his closest colleagues among NASCAR owners.[36]

In 1965, Moore andLincoln MercuryPerformance supervisor Fran Hernandez partnered to build drag cars. Two years later, Moore and Hernandez joinedDan Gurneyin fieldingMercury Cougarsin theSports Car Club of America'sTrans-Am Series.That year, the Bud Moore Cougar Team, withParnelli Jones,Dan GurneyandPeter Revsondriving, winning four races and just missing the series title by just two points, before Mercury left the series at the end of the season. In 1968,Tiny Lundwon the newly-formedGrand Americandivision championship driving a Cougar for Moore; over 1970 and 1971, Lund won 41 of the series' 109 races.[28][37]Moore returned to the Trans-Am in 1969, withParnelli JonesandGeorge Follmerdriving a pair ofBoss 302 Mustangs,combining to take 3 wins. In 1970 Jones and Follmer were back in Moore'sBoss 302 Mustangs,with Jones dominating the series, handily winning the Trans-Am championship on the strength of his 5 wins. Adding Follmer's win at Loudon, NH would give the Moore Team an even 6 wins for the season.[28][38]

Other notable racers have driven for Moore, includingDarel Dieringer,David Pearson,Cale Yarborough,Bobby Isaac,Dale Earnhardt,Darrell Waltrip,Donnie Allison,Geoff Bodine,Ricky Rudd,Brett Bodine,andMorgan Shepherd.[32]During his 37 years as a car owner, Moore recorded 63 wins, 43 poles and two NASCAR Grand National championships.[32]By the time of his team's shutdown in 1999, the 63 wins made Moore the fourth owner with the most wins in NASCAR history.[8]

In the late 1990s, a lack of funding hindered the team's progress. After losing its primary sponsor during the 1996 season, the team attempted only five of 84 races, qualifying for two. BME received sponsorship requests from various groups, including a three-year contract withAmerican Veterans,but the deals failed to materialize.[8]With few options remaining, Moore sold the team's assets and Spartanburg shop toWinston West Seriesoperation Fenley Motorsports, for whom he became a consultant as the team changed its name toFenley-Moore Motorsportsand retained Moore's No. 15.[39][40]Derrike Copesigned with the team for the final two races of the year in preparation to run the full 2000 season,[41]but the struggle to find sponsorship prompted Moore to leave his consultant role in February 2000.[42]The team was unable to pay Cope, who sued Fenley forbreach of contract.[43]Moore's last race as an owner was the2000 DieHard 500at Talladega withTed Musgrave;he finished 35th after being involved in a crash on lap 137.[31]Fenley sold the team shop and planned to move operations nearInterstate 85.[44]The shop was sold to Ernie Elliott Inc. via public auction on April 1, 2002.[45]Converse Collegecurrently owns the shop.[9]

Although he no longer owned a team, Moore remained in the sport, working on NASCAR's appeals committee.[9]In 2002, he was inducted into theStock Car Racing Hall of Fame;[28]seven years later, he was enshrined in theInternational Motorsports Hall of Fame.[46]On May 23, 2011, he was named to the second class of theNASCAR Hall of Fame.During his induction speech, Moore stated he would like to be remembered as "one who made many contributions to the sport. One who's [sic] firm handshake was as good as any contract. One who always gave a straight answer. Most of all, to be remembered as a man who loved his family, his country and the sport of racing. "[47]

He was inducted into theMotorsports Hall of Fame of Americain 2013.[48]

References

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  1. ^abMoore & Wood 2015,p. 11.
  2. ^Modestino, Lou (December 22, 2015)."NASCAR great Bud Moore will be at the Performance Race Car and Trade Show in Phillie on Jan. 22–24".GateHouse Media.RetrievedJune 6,2017.
  3. ^Moore & Wood 2015,p. 18.
  4. ^Moore & Wood 2015,p. 19.
  5. ^Moore & Wood 2015,p. 21.
  6. ^"House Resolution HR 4156"(doc).South Carolina House of Representatives.RetrievedJune 6,2017.
  7. ^Shanesy, Todd (February 8, 2008)."Founding father Bud Moore farmed out but not forgotten".Spartanburg Herald-Journal.RetrievedJune 6,2017.
  8. ^abcdefWinston, Chris (July 31, 1999)."Bud Moore sells off his race team".Spartanburg Herald-Journal.RetrievedJune 6,2017.
  9. ^abc"BUD MOORE KEEPS BUSY AT 90, WORKING THE FARM WITH A HAND IN RACING".Ford Performance.July 1, 2015.RetrievedJune 7,2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  10. ^"Bud Moore".Racing-Reference.RetrievedJune 6,2017.
  11. ^Hembree, Mike (May 18, 2011)."NASCAR Legend Owens Prepares for the Homestretch".Spartanburg Herald-Journal.Cotton Owens Garage.RetrievedJune 6,2017.
  12. ^"NASCAR Hall of Famer, World War II vet Bud Moore dies at 92".FOX News.November 28, 2017.RetrievedNovember 28,2017.
  13. ^Moore & Wood 2015,p. 21–22.
  14. ^abcdefHiggins, Tom (May 31, 2016)."CP MOTORSPORTS: TOM HIGGINS: BUD MOORE AND THE LONGEST DAY EVER".Competition Plus.RetrievedJune 6,2017.
  15. ^Moore & Wood 2015,p. 22.
  16. ^Moore & Wood 2015,p. 22–23.
  17. ^Moore & Wood 2015,p. 24.
  18. ^Moore & Wood 2015,p. 24–25.
  19. ^Moore & Wood 2015,p. 26.
  20. ^abMoore & Wood 2015,p. 27.
  21. ^Moore & Wood 2015,p. 26–27.
  22. ^Moore & Wood 2015,p. 27–28.
  23. ^Moore & Wood 2015,p. 27–29.
  24. ^abcdeWood, Jordan (May 24, 2015)."World War II Hero and NASCAR Legend Bud Moore Set to Celebrate 90th Birthday on Memorial Day".Wood Brothers Racing.Archived fromthe originalon October 13, 2016.RetrievedOctober 12,2016.
  25. ^abcMoore & Wood 2015,p. 29.
  26. ^"Dale Earnhardt: 1982 NASCAR Winston Cup Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedJune 7,2017.
  27. ^"Dale Earnhardt: 1983 NASCAR Winston Cup Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedJune 7,2017.
  28. ^abcdeFarr, Donald (June 1, 2005)."Bud Moore Engineering – Reflecting With Bud".Mustang Monthly.RetrievedJune 6,2017.
  29. ^"1950 NASCAR Grand National Results".Racing-Reference.RetrievedJune 6,2017.
  30. ^"Bud Moore (crew chief): Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Results (wins)".Racing-Reference.RetrievedJune 7,2017.
  31. ^ab"Bud Moore (owner): Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Results (races)".Racing-Reference.RetrievedJune 7,2017.
  32. ^abcd"Bud Moore Owner's Statistics".Racing Reference.info.RetrievedMarch 23,2010.
  33. ^"Billy Wade 1964 Driver's statistics".Racing Reference.info.RetrievedMarch 23,2010.
  34. ^"Buddy Baker: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Results (Talladega Superspeedway)".Racing-Reference.Archived fromthe originalon August 9, 2016.RetrievedJune 6,2017.
  35. ^Wilhelm, Chase (February 8, 2017)."Bobby Allison's iconic Daytona 500 paint schemes".Foxsports.RetrievedJune 6,2017.
  36. ^"Chat Transcript: Bud Moore".Bud Moore Engineering.RetrievedJune 6,2017.
  37. ^Schorr, Martyn (September 10, 2015).Ford Total Performance: Ford's Legendary High-Performance Street and Race Cars.Motorbooks.p. 144.ISBN978-1627887953.
  38. ^"Trans-Am".20 October 2022.
  39. ^Shanesy, Todd (February 6, 2000)."Dream team Two brothers from California made a deal with a Spartanburg legend. Now, Fenley/Moore Motorsports is ready to take on…".Spartanburg Herald-Journal.RetrievedJune 7,2017.
  40. ^"NEW HARRAH'S LAS VEGAS CASINO AND HOTEL SPONSORSHIP GIVES FENLEY-MOORE MOTORSPORTS..."Motorsport.November 19, 1999.RetrievedJune 7,2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  41. ^"Derrike Cope Signs for 2000".Motorsport.September 16, 1999. Archived fromthe originalon October 28, 2017.RetrievedJune 7,2017.
  42. ^Shanesy, Todd."Fenleys to sell shop, move near I-85".Spartanburg Herald-Journal.Archived fromthe originalon August 16, 2000.RetrievedJune 7,2017.
  43. ^Rockne, Dick (April 20, 2000)."Auto racing".The Seattle Times.RetrievedJune 7,2017.
  44. ^Shanesy, Todd."Fenleys to sell shop, move near I-85".Spartanburg Herald-Journal.Archived fromthe originalon August 16, 2000.RetrievedJune 7,2017.
  45. ^Langhorne, Tom (April 2, 2002)."Fenley race shop sold for $50,000 Race shop sold for $50,000".Spartanburg Herald-Journal.
  46. ^"INTERNATIONAL MOTORSPORTS HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2009".Talladega Superspeedway.December 4, 2008.RetrievedJune 6,2017.
  47. ^Fryer, Jenna (May 23, 2011)."NASCAR inducts 2nd Hall of Fame class".The San Diego Union-Tribune.RetrievedJune 6,2017.
  48. ^Bud Mooreat theMotorsports Hall of Fame of America

Further reading

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edit
  • Bud Mooreowner statistics at Racing-Reference
  • Bud Moorecrew chief statistics at Racing-Reference
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