Lewis Henry Moore (September 12, 1904 – March 25, 1956) was an American

racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...

and team owner. He was most known during his racing career for qualifying on the

pole position In a motorsports race, the pole position is usually the best and "statistically the most advantageous" starting position on the track. The pole position is usually earned by the driver with the best qualifying times in the trials before the ra ...

for the

1932 Indianapolis 500 The 20th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 30, 1932. Attrition was the story of the race, with 26 of the 40 cars dropping out due to crashes or mechanical failure. A record eight d ...

. He was a five-time Indianapolis 500 winning owner, a record which stood until 1987.

Early life and racing career

Moore was born in

Oklahoma Territory The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as ...

on September 12, 1904. He moved with his family to California at a young age. He started his career on the dirt tracks of California in 1923. In 1926, he won 18 feature races out of 23 starts and had been in the lead of the other 5 when equipment failed. He drove in the

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...

from 1928 to 1936. He finished second in 1928, started on the pole in 1932, and finished 3rd in 1933 and 1934. He also drove in the 1934

Tripoli Grand Prix The Tripoli Grand Prix (Italian: ''Gran Premio di Tripoli'') was a motor racing event first held in 1925 on a racing circuit outside Tripoli, the capital of what was then Italian Tripolitania, now Libya. It lasted until 1940. Background Moto ...

, starting 10th and finishing 7th.

Team ownership

After his driving career ended in 1936, Moore became a competitive car owner. Moore-owned entries won the Indianapolis 500 five times: in 1938, 1941, 1947, 1948, and 1949. The final three from 1947-1949 was the first of to-date two occasions to see three consecutive victories by an owner. Drivers of Moore-owned cars included

Mauri Rose Maurice Rose (May 26, 1906 – January 1, 1981) was an American racing driver. He won the Indianapolis 500 in 1941, 1947, and 1948, becoming the race's third three-time winner. He also won the AAA National Championship in 1936. Racing career ...

Bill Holland Willard Saulsbury Holland (December 18, 1907 – May 20, 1984) was an American racing driver from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He won the Indianapolis 500 in 1949 and finished second in 1947, 1948, and 1950. He was runner-up in the 1947 American A ...

Floyd Roberts Floyd Marion Roberts (February 12, 1900 – May 30, 1939) was an American racing driver. He won the 1938 Indianapolis 500 with a then-record speed of . He led for 92 laps. The following year, 1939, driving the same car, Roberts was killed in a c ...

Tony Bettenhausen Melvin Eugene "Tony" Bettenhausen (September 12, 1916 – May 12, 1961) was an American racing driver known primarily for his open-wheel career. He twice won the National Championship, doing so in 1951 and 1958. He also competed in stock cars, wi ...

Floyd Davis Floyd Eldon Davis (March 9, 1905 – May 31, 1977) was an American racing driver, and the co-winner of the 1941 Indianapolis 500. Floyd Davis drove the first 72 laps of the 1941 race before being replaced by Mauri Rose, who completed the race i ...

Lee Wallard Leland Wallard (September 7, 1910 – November 29, 1963) was an American racing driver. After a slow start to his career, the unheralded Wallard scored a "Cinderella" victory, authoring a dominating performance in the 1951 Indianapolis 500. Days ...

, George Connor and

Cliff Bergere Cliff Bergere (December 6, 1896 – June 18, 1980) was an American stuntman and racing driver. Bergere did stunt driving for movies, including the 1923 film ''The Eagle's Talons'', before embarking on a racing career. From 1927 to 1947, he star ...

. Moore earned a reputation as a hard-nosed team owner who expected his drivers to follow orders. In 1949, Bill Holland led comfortably in one of the Blue Crown cars while Mauri Rose, in the other team car, gradually raised the race pace in preparation for a late-race challenge. Car owner Moore recognized what was happening and hung out the "HOLD POS" sign. Holland complied and eased off, but Rose ignored the signal, and with just eight laps to go, broke a magneto strap and retired. Holland cruised to an easy win and when Rose arrived back at the pits, Moore fired him on the spot.

After racing

Moore retired from racing as an owner in 1953 following the on-track death of his friend,

Chet Miller Chester Joseph Miller (July 19, 1902 – May 15, 1953) was an American racing driver. He was killed in a crash in the south turn of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during practice for the 1953 Indianapolis 500. Yates, Brock W. "The Indianapolis 5 ...

. In September 1955, Moore was put in charge of

Pontiac Pontiac most often refers to: * Pontiac (Odawa leader) ( – 1769), Native American war chief *Pontiac (automobile), a former General Motors brand Pontiac may also refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Pontiac, Quebec, a municipality ** Apo ...

's racing division. On March 25, 1956, Moore was taken to the hospital after complaining of a massive headache. He was pronounced dead shortly thereafter due to a

brain hemorrhage The brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for ...

Motorsports career results

Indianapolis 500 results

References

External links

*
Champ Car Stats profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Lou Indianapolis 500 drivers Indianapolis 500 polesitters 1904 births 1956 deaths People from Caddo County, Oklahoma Racing drivers from Oklahoma AAA Championship Car drivers 20th-century American sportsmen