Bud Moore

One of NASCAR’s pioneers, Bud Moore won countless races in the sport’s early rough and tumble days. In almost four decades as a car owner, he was victorious at the Daytona 500, the Southern 500—three times—and at dozens of other NASCAR events, and won three Grand National Division championships, a Grand American championship and the Sports Car Club of America Trans Am championship. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011, with 63 wins and 43 poles. The cars built by Bud Moore Engineering have been raced by some of America’s most talented drivers, including Buck Baker, Bobby Allison, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Tiny Lund, David Pearson, Buddy Baker, Fireball Roberts and many others. Moore continuously sought to improve his machines, making them not only faster but safer, and many of his innovations were quickly adopted throughout NASCAR and by the auto industry. This is Moore’s story in his own words, covering his early life in Depression–era Spartanburg, South Carolina, his combat experience during the Invasion of Normandy, his racing career, and his family life and retirement as a gentleman farmer. Many never before seen photos are included.

Retired racer Bud Moore lives in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Perry Allen Wood is an investigator for Wells Fargo Bank and a noted racing historian. He has written three other McFarland books on stock car racing, appears weekly on Droppin’ the Hammer and lives in Spartanburg.

Bud Moore with Perry Allen Wood

Foreword by Winston Kelley

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 212
Bibliographic Info: 151 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2015
pISBN: 978-0-7864-9954-0
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2108-1
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments by Perry Allen Wood ix
Foreword by Winston Kelley 1
Preface by Perry Allen Wood 5
Introduction by Perry Allen Wood 7
One: A Born Farmer 11
Two: Caught in the Draft 21
Three: A Modified Life 31
Four: Coming of Age 44
Five: It Was the Best of Times, It was the Worst of Times 67
Six: Wading Into the Future 85
Seven: Mercuries, Mustangs, and Moving On 98
Eight: The Torino Years 115
Nine: ­T-Birds and Trophies 128
Ten: One Tough Customer 137
Eleven: One Tougher Customer 144
Twelve: Hitting Hard and Running Harder 150
Thirteen: Winning Again 157
Fourteen: The Final Laps 162
Fifteen: The Gentleman Farmer 173
Sixteen: Bud’s Three Sons Reflect 188
Sources 193
Index 195

• “a great read…. This book gives you the inside story of the racing business, the politics of the racing organizers, the suppliers and the car companies. Photos in this book are outstanding..marvelous…highly recommended”—SAH Journal
• “pick up this book, read it for a great adventure and a well lived life through a golden era of racing as told as if sitting around in the pits after a race with other racers. A rare insight into legendary times…entertaining, absorbing stories”—Victory Lane