RGeeProductions
05-24-2008, 05:36 PM
Funeral services for Lloyd Moore, considered to be NASCAR's oldest
living driver, were held here at the Wheeler Hill United Methodist Church May 21. James Bailey,
Webster Hill's pastor, said to the Asociated Press that his father-in-law had died in his sleep
at his home May 18.
Moore, surrounded by relatives, died in the same farm house where he was born June 8, 1912.
He died 21 days short of his 96th birthday. The third generation farmer was locally known as a
family man, Studebaker mechanic, school bus driver and Frewsburg Central School District garage
manager.
Racing reporters had been going to Moore's Few Run Road home recently, however, to ask Moore
about his five years of what is now NASCAR's Sprint Cup circuit. Moore was a colleague of 1950
NASCAR Grand National Champion Bill Rexford, of Conewano Valley, and their car owner Julian
Buesink, of Findley Lake.
Moore went on to win one GN race and finish in the top five 13 times among the 49 races he
started in 1949-52 and 1955. His sole victory came came at Funk's Speedway, Winchester, Ind.,
Oct. 15, 1950 -- the same year he placed fourth to Rexford.
Buesnik first entered Moore and a 1949 Ford in the then-NASCAR Strictly Stock Heildeburg
(Pa.) Speedway 100 Oct. 2, 1949. Moore wheeled Buesink's No. 21 Ford to sixth place finish after
186 laps on the Heidelburg one-half-mile in the series' sixth-ever race. He finished 14 laps behind
winner Lee Petty and four laps behind fifth place finisher Sara Christian.
Moore and Rexford were usually - but not exclusively - piloting Fords. Buesink was known to pull
the occasional Lincoln, Mercury or Oldsmobile off his used car lot for his drivers.
Moore's sole victory came aboard the No. 59 1950 Mercury after ousting Buckie Sager on lap 150
in the Funk's 100. Sagner and Rexford rounded out the top three finishers from 13 starters in
NASCAR Grand Nationals' only appearance on Funk's clay half-mile.
Rexford's third place helped set the stage in securing the 1950 GN title. Buesink decided to enter
both Moore and Rexford at Funk's instead sending one or both to the Martinsville (Va.) 100 being
held the same day. Title rival Fireball Roberts finished sixth, among 23 starters, to winner Herb
Thomas on the Martinsville clay half-mile.
Moore's career on NASCAR's premier circuit reads like an honor roll of past and present speedways.
While never making an entire season, he competed at Rochester's Monroe Co.
Fairgrounds, Morristown (N.J.) Speedway and on Daytona Beach among other tracks.
Moore's last race was in the Sixth Southern 500 at Darlington Sept. 5, 1955. He finished 24th in a
1955 Ford to winner Thomas in the 366-lap race after starting 48th.
Moore retired to start a family on the farm with wife Virginia Taylor. Recent reports state that
Moore would watch Sprint Cup races on television and has his Funk's 100 trophy on display. Moore
was inducted to the respective Western New York's Friends of Auto Racing and Chautauqua halls of
fame in 2007 and 2000.
Widow Virginia, six daughters, 14 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren are among Moore's
survivors.
Walter Elliot
living driver, were held here at the Wheeler Hill United Methodist Church May 21. James Bailey,
Webster Hill's pastor, said to the Asociated Press that his father-in-law had died in his sleep
at his home May 18.
Moore, surrounded by relatives, died in the same farm house where he was born June 8, 1912.
He died 21 days short of his 96th birthday. The third generation farmer was locally known as a
family man, Studebaker mechanic, school bus driver and Frewsburg Central School District garage
manager.
Racing reporters had been going to Moore's Few Run Road home recently, however, to ask Moore
about his five years of what is now NASCAR's Sprint Cup circuit. Moore was a colleague of 1950
NASCAR Grand National Champion Bill Rexford, of Conewano Valley, and their car owner Julian
Buesink, of Findley Lake.
Moore went on to win one GN race and finish in the top five 13 times among the 49 races he
started in 1949-52 and 1955. His sole victory came came at Funk's Speedway, Winchester, Ind.,
Oct. 15, 1950 -- the same year he placed fourth to Rexford.
Buesnik first entered Moore and a 1949 Ford in the then-NASCAR Strictly Stock Heildeburg
(Pa.) Speedway 100 Oct. 2, 1949. Moore wheeled Buesink's No. 21 Ford to sixth place finish after
186 laps on the Heidelburg one-half-mile in the series' sixth-ever race. He finished 14 laps behind
winner Lee Petty and four laps behind fifth place finisher Sara Christian.
Moore and Rexford were usually - but not exclusively - piloting Fords. Buesink was known to pull
the occasional Lincoln, Mercury or Oldsmobile off his used car lot for his drivers.
Moore's sole victory came aboard the No. 59 1950 Mercury after ousting Buckie Sager on lap 150
in the Funk's 100. Sagner and Rexford rounded out the top three finishers from 13 starters in
NASCAR Grand Nationals' only appearance on Funk's clay half-mile.
Rexford's third place helped set the stage in securing the 1950 GN title. Buesink decided to enter
both Moore and Rexford at Funk's instead sending one or both to the Martinsville (Va.) 100 being
held the same day. Title rival Fireball Roberts finished sixth, among 23 starters, to winner Herb
Thomas on the Martinsville clay half-mile.
Moore's career on NASCAR's premier circuit reads like an honor roll of past and present speedways.
While never making an entire season, he competed at Rochester's Monroe Co.
Fairgrounds, Morristown (N.J.) Speedway and on Daytona Beach among other tracks.
Moore's last race was in the Sixth Southern 500 at Darlington Sept. 5, 1955. He finished 24th in a
1955 Ford to winner Thomas in the 366-lap race after starting 48th.
Moore retired to start a family on the farm with wife Virginia Taylor. Recent reports state that
Moore would watch Sprint Cup races on television and has his Funk's 100 trophy on display. Moore
was inducted to the respective Western New York's Friends of Auto Racing and Chautauqua halls of
fame in 2007 and 2000.
Widow Virginia, six daughters, 14 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren are among Moore's
survivors.
Walter Elliot