Bud Moore Engineering
Encyclopedia
Bud Moore Engineering was a championship-winning NASCAR
team. It was owned and operated by mechanic Bud Moore
and ran out of Spartanburg, South Carolina
. While the team was a dominant force in the 60s and 80s, the final years were tumultuous due to lack of sponorship and uncompetitive race cars.
. The team won its debut with Joe Weatherly
driving the #8 Pontiac
. Weatherly drove for the team for most of the season, and won eight races. Bud Moore Engineering became one the first multi-car teams in NASCAR history, fielding the #18 for five races. Bob Welborn
, Fireball Roberts
, Cotton Owens
, and Tommy Irwin
drove that car.
In 1962, Weatherly returned and had a phenomenal year, winning five races and that year's Grand National championship. David Pearson drove the second car(#08) at Atlanta Motor Speedway
, finishing 11th.
1963 saw Weatherly and Moore repeating as champions, despite winning only three races and running just over half of the schedule. Welborn returned to the second car(#06) at Lowe's Motor Speedway
, finishing 29th,
Weatherly was considering retirement going into 1964, and he drove only a couple of races for Moore, until tragedy struck. While racing Moore's #8 Mercury
at Riverside International Raceway
, Weatherly began setting up for Turn 6 when he lost control and struck the concrete barrier, then slid across the racetrack where his car came to a stop. Weatherly was dead when workers got to his car. He died when his car hit the barrier, as his head slid out the window and hit the wall, suffering major head injuries. Moore retired #8 and switched to #1, and hired Billy Wade
, the 1963 NASCAR Rookie of the Year
, to drive. Wade had a strong year, winning four consecutive races and finishing fourth in points. Bobby Johns
, Johnny Rutherford
, and Darel Dieringer
also saw time in the car, with Dieringer winning at Augusta Speedway.
Sadly, Wade himself died in a tire test at Daytona International Speedway
. Moore retired #1 and fielded the #15 and#16 for Earl Balmer and Dieringer, respectively. Dieringer had another win and a third-place points finish, while Balmer had three top-fives. After that season, Moore cut down to Dieringer's car and ran a limited schedule, with Dieringer nailing down two more victories.
At the end of the season, Dieringer moved on and Moore had a rotation of drivers in his #16, Bobby Allison
, Gordon Johncock
, Sam McQuagg
, Cale Yarborough
, and LeeRoy Yarbrough
all drove, most of whom finished in the top-ten one. In 1968, Cale returned for one race, and Tiny Lund
drove for thirteen races, finishing in the top ten seven times. BME only ran one race in 1969, with Don Schissler finishing 36th at the inaugural Talladega 500.
to a 26th place finish at Riverside. LeeRoy Yarbrough
, Dick Brooks
, and Donnie Allison
also drove that year. In 1973, Bobby Isaac
climbed on board with Sta-Power Industries sponsoring. Isaac had six top-ten finishes until the Talladega 500, when he radioed in to Moore and told him he was quitting. When he got out of the car, Isaac announced he was retiring. Some reports surfaced saying Isaac quit because voices in his head had told him to. His replacement was an unpolished rookie named Darrell Waltrip
, who had a top-ten at Darlington Raceway
.
In 1974, George Follmer
drove the car with R.C. Cola
as sponsor, but was released after Riverside, and Buddy Baker
drove for the rest of the year, and won two poles. Baker stayed on for 1975, and won four races and finished 15th in the championship standings. Baker won one race in 1976 and finished seventh in the points, but did not visit victory lane in 1977. He left at the end of the year.
Baker's replacement was Bobby Allison
. Allison won five races each over the next two seasons, including the 1978 Daytona 500
, and finished second and third in the points, respectively. By the end of the 70s, Bud Moore Engineering had returned to prominence.
, who won three races and finished tenth in points. He too, decided to move on after that season. Moore hit paydirt in 1982 by hiring a hotshot young superstar named Dale Earnhardt
and signed Wrangler Jeans
as primary sponsor. Earnhardt had one win in his first year, and finished 12th in points. After only improving slightly the next year, Earnhardt departed for Richard Childress Racing
, and was replaced by Ricky Rudd
(who was driving the #3 Childress car that Earnhardt was now going to be driving, oddly enough with the same sponsorship). After a demoralizing start that resulted in Rudd flipping over several times in a crash in the Bud Shootout, Rudd won at Richmond
and finished seventh in points. Armed with new sponsor Motorcraft
, Rudd won five more races from 1985-1987, and had a best finish of fifth.
After 1987, Rudd departed for King Racing
, rookie Brett Bodine
replaced him. Compared to the teams' previous success, Bodine's performance was disappointing, and he left to replace Rudd at King.
to be his new driver. Shepherd had a strong year, winning the Atlanta Journal 500 and finishing a career-best fifth in points. When Shepherd dropped seven points in the standings in 1991, he left for Wood Brothers Racing
, and Moore selected Geoff Bodine
, older brother of Moore's former driver Brett, to be his new pilot. Despite two wins and eleven top-ten finishes, Bodine finished just 16th in points. Bodine won Moore's last race in 1993 at Sears Point
, which was one of Bodine's last races for the team as he purchased the late Alan Kulwicki
's AK Racing
and was going to become an owner-driver. Lake Speed
took over for him, and his best finish was an 11th at the Mello Yello 500.
Speed returned in 1994, this time with Ford
as the sponsor. He had four top five finishes and an eleventh place finish in points. At the end of the year, Speed departed for Melling Racing
, and popular veteran Dick Trickle
took over. After a disappointing seasons that yielded just one top-ten, Trickle left the team. Wally Dallenbach Jr. signed on with Hayes Communications in 1996, but only had three top-ten finishes. He and Hayes left the team at the end of the year.
, Bud Moore Engineering did not make a race in 1997
, when an attempt to make the Daytona 500
with Larry Pearson
failed. In 1998
, Moore began developing three-time ARCA champion Tim Steele for a run at Winston Cup. Steele had been recovering from injuries, and with the help of his father and sponsor Rescue Engine Formula, Steele would seek Rookie of the Year honors in 1999
. Soon though, the deal fell apart. Loy Allen Jr.
attempted the Brickyard 400, but failed to qualify. The team did start two races with Ted Musgrave
, both races resulting in DNF's.
After a failed attempt with Jeff Green
to qualify for the 1999 Daytona 500
, Moore was approached by a California family, Robert, Sue, and Randy Fenley, who were operating a successful NASCAR West Coast team and wanted to expand into Cup. Moore sold the operation to them but remained onboard as a consultant. They attempted their first race at that year's Brickyard 400 as the #62 with Big Daddy's BBQ Sauce
as sponsor. Jeff Davis and Lance Hooper
shared the driving duties, but they did not qualify for the race. Nevertheless, the team began preparing for 2000
. Late in the year, the team announced they would hire Derrike Cope
would drive the #15 until the end of 2001. Although no sponsor was named, the team assured Cope that there was enough financial stability for him to run for the entirety of his contract. Cope qualified at Lowe's Motor Speedway
for the team in 1999, finishing 35th. Things looked promising for 2000, as Cope had a strong Speedweeks. However, the team soon started to skip races because of financial difficulties. Things went from bad to worse as Moore left the team. Soon afterwards, Cope quit the team in disgust because he felt that he was lied to when he was told the organization was financially secure. Ted Musgrave drove at Talladega and finished 35th. After that, the team moved to North Carolina and hoped to run the ARCA series until they could afford to compete in NASCAR again. That never came to be and the team soon shut down and sold its equipment. Moore's old shop in Spartanburg
was purchased recently by Converse College
as a storage facility.1
Shortly after the number 15 was used by Michael Waltrip
and won the 2001 Daytona 500
, but was over shadowed by the death of his owner
. In recent years the number 15 was later used by Paul Menard
in his rookie years in Nextel Cup
. Currently no one uses the number 15.
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
team. It was owned and operated by mechanic Bud Moore
Bud Moore (NASCAR owner)
Walter M. "Bud" Moore is a retired NASCAR car owner. He was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina. A decorated veteran of World War II, he described himself as "an old country mechanic who loved to make 'em run fast". His cars were number 15 and usually painted red and white and sponsored by...
and ran out of Spartanburg, South Carolina
Spartanburg, South Carolina
thgSpartanburg is the largest city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest city of the three primary cities in the Upstate region of South Carolina, and is located northwest of Columbia, west of Charlotte, and about northeast of...
. While the team was a dominant force in the 60s and 80s, the final years were tumultuous due to lack of sponorship and uncompetitive race cars.
60s
Bud Moore Engineering debuted in 1961, at a qualifying race for the Daytona 500Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
. The team won its debut with Joe Weatherly
Joe Weatherly
Joseph "Joe" Weatherly was a two-time NASCAR championship driver. Weatherly was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2009 after winning NASCAR's Grand National championships in 1962 and 1963, three A.M.A...
driving the #8 Pontiac
Pontiac
Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...
. Weatherly drove for the team for most of the season, and won eight races. Bud Moore Engineering became one the first multi-car teams in NASCAR history, fielding the #18 for five races. Bob Welborn
Bob Welborn
Robert "Bob" Joe Welborn of Denton, North Carolina, USA is a former NASCAR Grand National driver. He was named to NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers list in 1998...
, Fireball Roberts
Fireball Roberts
Edward Glenn Roberts, Jr. , nicknamed "Fireball", was one of the pioneering race car drivers of NASCAR.-Background:...
, Cotton Owens
Cotton Owens
Everett "Cotton" Owens "the King of the Modifieds" was a NASCAR driver. For five straight years , Owens captured at least one Grand National series win.-Modified driving career:...
, and Tommy Irwin
Tommy Irwin
Thomas Andrew Irwin was a Major League Baseball player. An alumnus of the University of North Carolina, Irwin was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in and played three games for them in October...
drove that car.
In 1962, Weatherly returned and had a phenomenal year, winning five races and that year's Grand National championship. David Pearson drove the second car(#08) at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway is a track just outside Hampton, Georgia, twenty miles south of Atlanta. It is a quad-oval track with a seating capacity of over 125,000. It opened in 1960 as a standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track...
, finishing 11th.
1963 saw Weatherly and Moore repeating as champions, despite winning only three races and running just over half of the schedule. Welborn returned to the second car(#06) at Lowe's Motor Speedway
Lowe's Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the Sprint All-Star Race...
, finishing 29th,
Weatherly was considering retirement going into 1964, and he drove only a couple of races for Moore, until tragedy struck. While racing Moore's #8 Mercury
Mercury (automobile)
Mercury was an automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company launched in 1938 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level luxury cars slotted between Ford-branded regular models and Lincoln-branded luxury vehicles, similar to General Motors' Buick brand, and Chrysler's namesake brand...
at Riverside International Raceway
Riverside International Raceway
Riverside International Raceway was a race track or road course in Riverside, California. The track was in operation from September 22, 1957, to July 2, 1989...
, Weatherly began setting up for Turn 6 when he lost control and struck the concrete barrier, then slid across the racetrack where his car came to a stop. Weatherly was dead when workers got to his car. He died when his car hit the barrier, as his head slid out the window and hit the wall, suffering major head injuries. Moore retired #8 and switched to #1, and hired Billy Wade
Billy Wade (NASCAR)
Billy Wade had a brief yet successful stint in NASCAR.a.k.a , Billy was the 1963 NASCAR Rookie of the Year for car owner Cotton Owens. He finished the season with 14 Top 10 finishes in 31 races.He won four consecutive races the following year for Bud Moore Engineering between July 10 and July 19,...
, the 1963 NASCAR Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Rookie of the Year
The NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award is presented to the first-year driver that has the best season in a NASCAR season. Each of NASCAR's national and regional touring series selects a RotY winner each year....
, to drive. Wade had a strong year, winning four consecutive races and finishing fourth in points. Bobby Johns
Bobby Johns
Bobby Johns is a retired American racecar driver.Johns raced in the NASCAR series in the 1956-1969 seasons, with 141 career starts. He had 2 wins among his 36 top ten finishes and finished the 1960 season 3rd in the points...
, Johnny Rutherford
Johnny Rutherford
For the Major League Baseball pitcher, see Johnny Rutherford . For other people with a similar name, see John RutherfordJohn Sherman Rutherford III , better known as Johnny Rutherford, and also known as "Lone Star JR" is a former U.S...
, and Darel Dieringer
Darel Dieringer
Darel Dieringer was a NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series driver.-Summary:...
also saw time in the car, with Dieringer winning at Augusta Speedway.
Sadly, Wade himself died in a tire test at Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, Grand-Am and Motocross...
. Moore retired #1 and fielded the #15 and#16 for Earl Balmer and Dieringer, respectively. Dieringer had another win and a third-place points finish, while Balmer had three top-fives. After that season, Moore cut down to Dieringer's car and ran a limited schedule, with Dieringer nailing down two more victories.
At the end of the season, Dieringer moved on and Moore had a rotation of drivers in his #16, Bobby Allison
Bobby Allison
Robert Arthur Allison is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other....
, Gordon Johncock
Gordon Johncock
Gordon Johncock is a former racing driver, best known as a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 and the 1976 USAC Marlboro Championship Trail champion. Johncock was most often simply referred to as "Gordy."...
, Sam McQuagg
Sam McQuagg
Samuel "Sam" McQuagg was an American former NASCAR Rookie of the Year driver. He died of cancer on January 3, 2009 at the age of 73...
, Cale Yarborough
Cale Yarborough
William Caleb "Cale" Yarborough , is a farmer, businessman and former NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner. He is one of only two drivers in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships...
, and LeeRoy Yarbrough
LeeRoy Yarbrough
Lonnie "LeeRoy" Yarbrough was a NASCAR racer. His best season was 1969 when he won seven races, tallied 21 finishes in the top-ten and earned $193,211...
all drove, most of whom finished in the top-ten one. In 1968, Cale returned for one race, and Tiny Lund
Tiny Lund
DeWayne Louis "Tiny" Lund was a NASCAR driver. He was ironically nicknamed "Tiny" due to his rather large and imposing size.-Background:...
drove for thirteen races, finishing in the top ten seven times. BME only ran one race in 1969, with Don Schissler finishing 36th at the inaugural Talladega 500.
70s
Bud Moore Engineering took a three-year hiatus until 1972, when David Pearson piloted the #15 FordFord Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
to a 26th place finish at Riverside. LeeRoy Yarbrough
LeeRoy Yarbrough
Lonnie "LeeRoy" Yarbrough was a NASCAR racer. His best season was 1969 when he won seven races, tallied 21 finishes in the top-ten and earned $193,211...
, Dick Brooks
Dick Brooks
Richard "Dick" Brooks was an American NASCAR driver. Born in Porterville, California, he was the 1969 NASCAR Rookie of the Year, and went on to win the 1973 Talladega 500...
, and Donnie Allison
Donnie Allison
Dunkiny "Donnie" Allison is a former driver on the NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup circuit, who won ten times during his racing career, which spanned the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. He was part of the "Alabama Gang," and is the brother of 1983 champion Bobby Allison and uncle of Davey Allison...
also drove that year. In 1973, Bobby Isaac
Bobby Isaac
Bobby Isaac is a former NASCAR Grand National champion.-Early life:Isaac grew up on a farm near Catawba, North Carolina, the second youngest of nine children...
climbed on board with Sta-Power Industries sponsoring. Isaac had six top-ten finishes until the Talladega 500, when he radioed in to Moore and told him he was quitting. When he got out of the car, Isaac announced he was retiring. Some reports surfaced saying Isaac quit because voices in his head had told him to. His replacement was an unpolished rookie named Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Lee Waltrip is a 3-time NASCAR Cup Series champion , 3-time runner-up , winner of the 1989 Daytona 500 and 5-time winner of the prestigeous Coca-Cola 600 ,...
, who had a top-ten at Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is nicknamed the "Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" by many NASCAR fans and drivers and advertised as "A NASCAR Tradition"...
.
In 1974, George Follmer
George Follmer
George Follmer is a retired American race car driver, and one of the most successful road racers of the 1970s. He was born in Phoenix, Arizona....
drove the car with R.C. Cola
R.C. Cola
RC Cola is a soft drink developed in 1905 by Claude A. Hatcher, a pharmacist in Columbus, Georgia, United States.- History :...
as sponsor, but was released after Riverside, and Buddy Baker
Buddy Baker
Elzie Wylie Baker, Jr. , nicknamed "Leadfoot" or more famously Buddy, is a former American NASCAR racecar driver.-Early life:...
drove for the rest of the year, and won two poles. Baker stayed on for 1975, and won four races and finished 15th in the championship standings. Baker won one race in 1976 and finished seventh in the points, but did not visit victory lane in 1977. He left at the end of the year.
Baker's replacement was Bobby Allison
Bobby Allison
Robert Arthur Allison is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other....
. Allison won five races each over the next two seasons, including the 1978 Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
, and finished second and third in the points, respectively. By the end of the 70s, Bud Moore Engineering had returned to prominence.
80s
After Allison won four races in 1980 and finished sixth in points, he left for other opportunities. He was replaced by Benny ParsonsBenny Parsons
Benjamin Stewart Parsons was an American NASCAR driver, and later an announcer/analyst on TBS, ESPN, NBC and TNT...
, who won three races and finished tenth in points. He too, decided to move on after that season. Moore hit paydirt in 1982 by hiring a hotshot young superstar named Dale Earnhardt
Dale Earnhardt
Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his involvement in stock car racing for NASCAR...
and signed Wrangler Jeans
Wrangler Jeans
Wrangler is a manufacturer of jeans and other clothing items. The brand is owned by the VF Corporation, who also own Lee, JanSport and The North Face, among others. Its headquarters is in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina, with production plants in a variety of locations throughout the world...
as primary sponsor. Earnhardt had one win in his first year, and finished 12th in points. After only improving slightly the next year, Earnhardt departed for Richard Childress Racing
Richard Childress Racing
RCR Enterprises, LLC, doing business as Richard Childress Racing, is a NASCAR team based in Welcome, North Carolina, and is owned and operated by former driver Richard Childress...
, and was replaced by Ricky Rudd
Ricky Rudd
Ricky Rudd is a former American NASCAR driver. He is the uncle of actor Skeet Ulrich and Nationwide Series driver Jason Rudd. Rudd is known as the "Iron Man" of NASCAR; holding the record for most consecutive starts in NASCAR racing. At the conclusion of the 2005 season, Rudd had made 788...
(who was driving the #3 Childress car that Earnhardt was now going to be driving, oddly enough with the same sponsorship). After a demoralizing start that resulted in Rudd flipping over several times in a crash in the Bud Shootout, Rudd won at Richmond
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway is a 3/4-mile , D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series...
and finished seventh in points. Armed with new sponsor Motorcraft
Motorcraft
Motorcraft is an auto parts brand of Ford Motor Company.-History:The Ford Motor Company launched this auto parts division in 1972 to provide replacement parts and original equipment parts. This brand replaced Autolite as Ford's official parts brand. Autolite is still a brand name in use today, but...
, Rudd won five more races from 1985-1987, and had a best finish of fifth.
After 1987, Rudd departed for King Racing
King Racing
King Racing was the name of famed NHRA champion Kenny Bernstein's racing team which fielded cars in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series as well as in CART and the Indianapolis 500.-NASCAR:...
, rookie Brett Bodine
Brett Bodine
Brett Bodine is a former NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and is the current driver of the pace car in Sprint Cup events. Brett is the younger brother of 1986 Daytona 500 winner Geoff Bodine and the older brother of 2006 Craftsman Truck Series champion Todd Bodine...
replaced him. Compared to the teams' previous success, Bodine's performance was disappointing, and he left to replace Rudd at King.
Mid to late 90s
In 1990, Moore chose Morgan ShepherdMorgan Shepherd
Clay Morgan Shepherd has been a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver since 1977. He has also raced in the Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series. He is a born again Christian who serves as a lay minister to the racing community...
to be his new driver. Shepherd had a strong year, winning the Atlanta Journal 500 and finishing a career-best fifth in points. When Shepherd dropped seven points in the standings in 1991, he left for Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing is an American auto racing team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series. The team was formed in 1950 by the sons of Walter and Ada Wood, thus the Wood Brothers...
, and Moore selected Geoff Bodine
Geoff Bodine
Geoffrey Eli Bodine is an American motorsport driver and bobsled builder. He is the oldest of the three Bodine brothers . Bodine currently lives in Cornelius, North Carolina....
, older brother of Moore's former driver Brett, to be his new pilot. Despite two wins and eleven top-ten finishes, Bodine finished just 16th in points. Bodine won Moore's last race in 1993 at Sears Point
Infineon Raceway
Infineon Raceway, formerly Sears Point Raceway, is a road course and drag strip located on the landform known as Sears Point in the southern Sonoma Mountains near Sonoma, California, USA. The course is a complex series of twists and turns that go up and down the hills...
, which was one of Bodine's last races for the team as he purchased the late Alan Kulwicki
Alan Kulwicki
Alan Dennis Kulwicki , nicknamed "Special K" and the "Polish Prince", was an American NASCAR Winston Cup Series racecar driver. He started racing at local short tracks in Wisconsin before moving up to regional stock car touring series...
's AK Racing
AK Racing
AK Racing is a former NASCAR Winston Cup Series team. It was originally owned by Bill Terry before he sold it to rookie driver Alan Kulwicki, who controlled and raced for the team until his death in 1993. Kulwicki won five races as an owner-driver...
and was going to become an owner-driver. Lake Speed
Lake Speed
-Background:Lake was named after the best friend of his father, Bob Lake. Lake's father Leland L. Speed took office as the Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi in 1948, the same year that he was born. He started his racing career at the age of thirteen racing karts, much to the displeasure of his family...
took over for him, and his best finish was an 11th at the Mello Yello 500.
Speed returned in 1994, this time with Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
as the sponsor. He had four top five finishes and an eleventh place finish in points. At the end of the year, Speed departed for Melling Racing
Melling Racing
Melling Racing was a NASCAR team that ran from 1982 to 2002. The team won the 1988 championship with driver Bill Elliott.-History:Owner Harry Melling first became involved in NASCAR when his company Melling Tool sponsored Benny Parsons in 1979. The team began in 1982 with driver Bill Elliott by...
, and popular veteran Dick Trickle
Dick Trickle
Richard "Dick" Trickle is a retired American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle has competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All Pro, IMCA, NASCAR, and USAC.In more than an estimated 2,200 races, Trickle has logged...
took over. After a disappointing seasons that yielded just one top-ten, Trickle left the team. Wally Dallenbach Jr. signed on with Hayes Communications in 1996, but only had three top-ten finishes. He and Hayes left the team at the end of the year.
Final years
After the disappointment of 19961996 in NASCAR
The 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series started on February 18, 1996 and ended on November 10, 1996 with Terry Labonte pulling off a massive upset and winning his second championship.-1996 Team Chart:-Busch Clash:...
, Bud Moore Engineering did not make a race in 1997
1997 in NASCAR
- 1997 Team Chart :- Busch Clash :The Busch Clash, a race for polewinners from the previous season, and drivers who have won the event before, was run on February 9 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Terry Labonte drew the pole...
, when an attempt to make the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
with Larry Pearson
Larry Pearson
Larry Pearson is a former NASCAR driver and the son of three-time Winston Cup champion David Pearson. He won the Busch Series championship in 1986 and 1987, but struggled during his brief tenure in Winston Cup...
failed. In 1998
1998 in NASCAR
See Also: 1998 in NASCAR Busch Series-1998 Team Chart:-Bud Shootout Qualifier:The Bud Shootout Qualifier, a race for the fastest second round qualifier, from each race from the previous season, was run on February 8 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Sterling Marlin drew the pole...
, Moore began developing three-time ARCA champion Tim Steele for a run at Winston Cup. Steele had been recovering from injuries, and with the help of his father and sponsor Rescue Engine Formula, Steele would seek Rookie of the Year honors in 1999
1999 in NASCAR
The 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Season began on Sunday February 7 and ended on Sunday November 21. Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett was crowned the champion...
. Soon though, the deal fell apart. Loy Allen Jr.
Loy Allen Jr.
Loy Allen Jr. , is a former NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Series driver. He found his best results however in the ARCA series, with a win at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1992 and two second place finishes at Talladega and Daytona in 1993.- Winston Cup Career :Allen Jr. made his Cup Debut at Daytona in...
attempted the Brickyard 400, but failed to qualify. The team did start two races with Ted Musgrave
Ted Musgrave
Theodore Musgrave is an American race car driver.-Pre-NASCAR:Musgrave's father, Elmer, was a famous short-track racer in the Midwest who raced for over 25 years at Soldier Field, O'Hare, Waukegan, and Wilmot, Wisconsin before moving into asphalt late models in the American Speed Association and...
, both races resulting in DNF's.
After a failed attempt with Jeff Green
Jeff Green (NASCAR)
Jeffery Green is an American stock car driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He currently drives part time in the Nationwide Series for Tri-Star Motorsports in their #44 entry and the Sprint Cup Series for Front Row Motorsports in their #55 entry.Green's 1990 Nashville Speedway USA championship...
to qualify for the 1999 Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
, Moore was approached by a California family, Robert, Sue, and Randy Fenley, who were operating a successful NASCAR West Coast team and wanted to expand into Cup. Moore sold the operation to them but remained onboard as a consultant. They attempted their first race at that year's Brickyard 400 as the #62 with Big Daddy's BBQ Sauce
Big Daddy's BBQ Sauce
Big Daddy's BBQ Sauce is a company that produces barbecue sauce. Based in Yukon, Oklahoma.-History:The sauce came from the result of two friends merging their famous recipes together...
as sponsor. Jeff Davis and Lance Hooper
Lance Hooper
Lance Allen Hooper is a race car driver in NASCAR as well as several touring divisions. Hooper attended his first race when he was just two weeks old, and also came from a long line of racing champions, including his uncle, father, and brother...
shared the driving duties, but they did not qualify for the race. Nevertheless, the team began preparing for 2000
2000 in NASCAR
The 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Season began on Sunday February 13 and ended on Sunday November 20. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte was crowned champion at season's end. The NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship was won by Ford when they captured 14 wins and 234 points to better Pontiac's 11 wins...
. Late in the year, the team announced they would hire Derrike Cope
Derrike Cope
Derrike Cope is a NASCAR driver. He is best known for his win in the 1990 Daytona 500. He currently drives the #28 Chevrolet for Jay Robinson Racing in the Nationwide Series and the #75 Chevrolet/Dodge for his own team in the Sprint Cup Series.-Early years:Cope was born in San Diego, California...
would drive the #15 until the end of 2001. Although no sponsor was named, the team assured Cope that there was enough financial stability for him to run for the entirety of his contract. Cope qualified at Lowe's Motor Speedway
Lowe's Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the Sprint All-Star Race...
for the team in 1999, finishing 35th. Things looked promising for 2000, as Cope had a strong Speedweeks. However, the team soon started to skip races because of financial difficulties. Things went from bad to worse as Moore left the team. Soon afterwards, Cope quit the team in disgust because he felt that he was lied to when he was told the organization was financially secure. Ted Musgrave drove at Talladega and finished 35th. After that, the team moved to North Carolina and hoped to run the ARCA series until they could afford to compete in NASCAR again. That never came to be and the team soon shut down and sold its equipment. Moore's old shop in Spartanburg
Spartanburg, South Carolina
thgSpartanburg is the largest city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest city of the three primary cities in the Upstate region of South Carolina, and is located northwest of Columbia, west of Charlotte, and about northeast of...
was purchased recently by Converse College
Converse College
Converse College is a liberal arts women's college in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA. It was established by a group of Spartanburg citizens and named after Dexter Edgar Converse.-History:...
as a storage facility.1
Shortly after the number 15 was used by Michael Waltrip
Michael Waltrip
Michael Curtis Waltrip is a semi-former professional race car driver, co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing, and a published author. He is the younger brother of three-time NASCAR champion and racing commentator Darrell Waltrip. Waltrip is a two-time winner of the Daytona 500; having won the race in...
and won the 2001 Daytona 500
2001 Daytona 500
The 2001 Daytona 500, the 43rd running of the event, was held on February 18, 2001 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida over 200 laps on the 2.5 mile asphalt tri-oval. Bill Elliott won the pole. The race will be forever remembered for the final lap...
, but was over shadowed by the death of his owner
Death of Dale Earnhardt
Dale Earnhardt was an American race car driver who gained fame driving stock cars for NASCAR and winning seven championships. He was involved in a car accident during the last lap of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2001. He was taken to Halifax Medical Center,...
. In recent years the number 15 was later used by Paul Menard
Paul Menard
Paul Menard is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #27 Menards Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing and runs part-time for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the Nationwide Series. He is the son of Menards founder John Menard, Jr., whose company is his sponsor...
in his rookie years in Nextel Cup
NEXTEL Cup
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing . The series was originally known as the Strictly Stock Series and Grand National Series . While leasing its naming rights to R. J...
. Currently no one uses the number 15.