NASCAR's last Golden Era hero passes away at 92

​Walter Maynard “Bud” Moore passed away this week at the age of 92. Bud Moore’s name might not be a household name in Australia, but the amazing exploits of this World War 2 veteran, and race car owner and crew chief, are legendary, and well worth celebrating.

As a 19 year-old Moore participated in the D-Day landings, winning two Bronze Stars and five Purple Hearts for his actions, including capturing 15 German soldiers and four officers at the Battle of the Bulge. In peace time he jumped straight into the newly formed NASCAR series as a car owner, mechanic and crew chief, taking his first series win with Buck Baker in 1957. He found his straps with the late, great Joe Weatherly in 1961, winning eight races. They took the series title in ‘62 and ‘63 with 12 race wins, before Weatherly’s fatal crash at Riverside, California, in early 1964.

He continued to field NASCAR teams until 1999, but was also drafted by Ford to build a Trans-Am touring car team using their Mustang to take on Chevy, Dodge and Plymouth in the hotly contested series. Bud Moore Engineering hired Parnelli Jones and the Boss Mustangs became legendary after winning the 1970 Trans-Am title. Australia got a taste of Bud Moore’s formidable engineering prowess when Canadian Allan Moffat bought one of the BME Trans-Am Mustangs and brought it to Australia in Coca-Cola colours to race in our Australian Touring Car Championship.

Some of the most-legendary American race car drivers have sat behind the wheel of Moore’s cars, including Dale Earnhardt, Glenn “Fireball” Roberts, Rex White, Ricky Rudd, Bobby Allison, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Tiny Lund, Benny Parsons and Darrel Waltrip. Moore was among the first inductees to NASCAR’s Hall of Fame, back in 2011.

Iain Kelly is the car nut behind The Creators Online.

What will you miss most about Walter Maynard Moore? Let us know in the comments.