Lou Moore facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lou Moore |
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| Born | Lewis Henry Moore September 12, 1904 Hinton, Oklahoma Territory, U.S. |
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| Died | March 25, 1956 (aged 51) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 25 races run over 10 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 2nd (1933) | ||||||
| First race | 1928 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| Last race | 1936 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| First win | 1931 Altoona 100 (Altoona) | ||||||
| Last win | 1931 Syracuse 100 (Syracuse) | ||||||
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Lewis Henry Moore (born September 12, 1904 – died March 25, 1956) was an American racing driver and a very successful team owner. He was famous for starting in the very first spot, called the pole position, at the 1932 Indianapolis 500 race. Later, as a team owner, he won the Indianapolis 500 five times. This was a record that stood for many years until 1987.
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Lou Moore's Early Racing Days
Lou Moore was born in Oklahoma Territory on September 12, 1904. His family moved to California when he was young. He began his racing journey on dirt tracks in California in 1923. He was very good at it! In 1926, he won 18 out of 23 main races. In the other five, he was leading when his car had a problem.
Lou Moore competed in the famous Indianapolis 500 race from 1928 to 1936. He finished second in 1928, which was a great achievement. In 1932, he started the race from the pole position, meaning he was the fastest in qualifying. He also finished third in both the 1933 and 1934 races. He even raced in the 1934 Tripoli Grand Prix in Italy, finishing seventh.
Becoming a Winning Team Owner
After he stopped driving in 1936, Lou Moore became a car owner. This meant he owned the race cars and managed the drivers. He was incredibly successful! Cars owned by Lou Moore won the Indianapolis 500 five times. These wins happened in 1938, 1941, 1947, 1948, and 1949. Winning three years in a row (1947-1949) was a first for any owner.
Many famous drivers raced for Lou Moore. Some of them were Mauri Rose, Bill Holland, and Floyd Roberts. Lou Moore was known for being a tough boss. He expected his drivers to follow his instructions very carefully.
For example, in the 1949 Indianapolis 500, Bill Holland was leading the race comfortably in one of Moore's cars. Another driver for Moore's team, Mauri Rose, was trying to catch up. Moore saw this and put out a sign that said "HOLD POS" (Hold Position). Holland followed the order and slowed down a bit. But Rose ignored the sign and kept pushing his car. With only eight laps left, Rose's car broke down. Holland then easily won the race. When Rose came back to the pits, Moore was so upset that he fired him right away!
Life After Racing
Lou Moore decided to retire from racing as an owner in 1953. This was after his friend, Chet Miller, sadly died in a racing accident. In September 1955, Moore took on a new role. He was put in charge of the racing division for Pontiac cars.
Sadly, Lou Moore passed away on March 25, 1956. He was taken to the hospital after getting a very bad headache. Doctors said he died from a brain hemorrhage, which is bleeding in the brain.
Lou Moore's Indianapolis 500 Results
Lou Moore competed in the Indianapolis 500 nine times as a driver. He started from the pole position once and finished in the top three three times.
- Starts: 9 races
- Pole Positions: 1 (1932)
- Top 5 Finishes: 3 times
- Top 10 Finishes: 3 times
