NASCAR HALL OF FAME STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF BUD MOORE
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Nov. 28, 2017) – The following is a statement from NASCAR Hall of Fame Executive Director Winston Kelley on the passing of Class of 2011 NASCAR Hall of Famer Walter "Bud" Moore:
“First and foremost, on behalf of everyone at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, we offer our most sincere condolences to the entire Moore family. Walter “Bud” Moore was truly a hero in every sense of the word. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary describes a hero as: 'A person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.' Many may fit one of these categories but very few fit into each. Bud left an indelible mark on NASCAR. We are humbled that he considers his crowning achievement as his induction in the second class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, one of our first 10 inductees. That alone speaks to the magnitude of his accomplishments and contributions to NASCAR as both a championship owner and crew chief. Often humbly referring to himself as simply “a country mechanic,” in his nearly 40 years in NASCAR his cars were fast and dependable and powered some of NASCAR’s top drivers to success including fellow Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt (2010), David Pearson and Bobby Allison (2011), Buck Baker (2013), Fireball Roberts (2014), Joe Weatherly (2015), Bobby Isaac (2016), Benny Parsons (2017), and nominees Buddy Baker and Ricky Rudd, among others.
Through all his professional racing success, Bud’s most significant contribution was to his country. As a raw 19 year old from Spartanburg, South Carolina, Bud was among those who on June 6, 1944, landed on Utah Beach in France as a part of the D-Day invasion leading to the end of World War II and paving the way to preserve the freedoms our forefathers had fought for in the 1770s. His unit was a part of the command of legendary General George W. Patton. Bud’s service went far deeper than that one day receiving five, yes five, Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars for his bravery and service.
Bud became a personal friend over 30 years ago first through our mutual and dear friend Barney Hall, co-namesake of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence, and then even more so over the last 10 plus years sharing NASCAR Hall of Fame endeavors. He was always quick to offer his support and assistance with any activity or appearance asked of him, including serving on the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel since its inception. While we have lost one of NASCAR’s and the United States’ true pioneers and heroes, Bud’s legacy and memory will always be remembered, preserved, celebrated and cherished. Again, we offer our sincere condolences to the entire Moore family.”