October 6, 2009
By Allen Madding
Born June 8, 1912, Lloyd Moore, a school bus driver living in Frewsburg, New York, began his racing career at Penny Royal Race track, a half-mile dirt track built by the Leon Volunteer Fire Company on the sight of an old horse racing track just outside Leon, New York that operated from 1946 through the mid-1950s. While honing his talent as a driver on the racetrack in an old jalopy from his family’s farm, Moore also began to become an accomplished mechanic and becoming a full-time mechanic in a local Studebaker shop. He also bought an airplane and taught himself how to fly.
In 1949, Moore entered the 200-lap NASCAR Strictly Stock event at the half-mile dirt Heidelberg Raceway in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania driving the No. 21 Ford owned by Julian Buesink. He finished the event in sixth place.
In 1950 Moore returned to the newly renamed NASCAR Grand National Division driving Buesink’s No. 14, No. 59, and No. 62 Fords, Lincolns, Oldsmobiles, and Mercurys in 16 events. He finished third on the Daytona Beach course, second at the one-mile perfect circle Langhorne Speedway, third at Canfield Speedway in Ohio, second at Vernon Fairgrounds in New York, fourth at Hamburg Speedway in New York, third in the October event at Vernon Fairgrounds, and then won the 200-lap event at the half-mile dirt Funk's Speedway in Winchester, Indiana after leading 51 of the events 200 laps. Moore ended the season with one win, seven top fives, and ten top tens and was fourth in the NASCAR Grand National Division Championship.
Moore drove Buesink’s No. 59 in 22 of the 41 NASCAR Grand National Division events in 1951 recording fifth place finishes in the 200-lap event on the half-mile asphalt Dayton Speedway in Ohio, in the 200-lap event at the half-mile dirt Grand River Speedrome in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and in the 200-lap event on the dirt half-mile at Pine Grove Speedway in Shippenville, Pennsylvania. He finished third in the September 200-lap event at Dayton Speedway.
In 1952, Moore made eight Grand National starts for Buesink finishing second at Dayton Speedway in May, fourth at Dayton Speedway in September, and sixth on the half-mile dirt at Wine Creek Race Track in Owego, New York.
Moore was absent from Grand National competition until returning in 1955 for two starts in Buesink’s Ford recording a 12th place finish in the 110-lap event on the one-mile asphalt Raleigh Speedway in Raleigh, North Carolina and a 24th in the Southern 500 at the 1.375-mile asphalt Darlington Raceway.
After the 1955 Southern 500, Lloyd Moore left NASCAR racing to concentrate on providing for his family, a wife and six daughters.
Lloyd Moore died May 18, 2008 at the age of 95. In his days of NASCAR competition, Moore drove all night to a track, unloaded the trunk of the car, put a number on the door and raced the car. He would then repack the trunk and drive the car home if there was anything left of it. In five years of competing in NASCAR’s premier division, Moore made 49 starts and posted one win, 13 top fives and 23 top tens.
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