Ralph Moody

Infobox NASCAR driver
Name = Ralph Moody
Birthdate = birth date|1917|9|10
Died = death date and age|2004|6|9|1917|9|10
Birthplace = flagicon|USA Taunton, Massachusetts
Cause of Death = died at home after a long illness
Best_Cup_Pos = 8th - 1956 (Grand National)
Cup_Wins = 5
Cup_Top_Tens = 27
Cup_Poles = 5
First_Cup_Race = 1956 Daytona Beach Road Course
First_Cup_Win = 1956 Memphis-Arkansas Speedway
Last_Cup_Win = 1957 Wilson Speedway Wilson, North Carolina)
Last_Cup_Race = 1962 Richmond 250 Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds (now Richmond International Raceway)
Awards = North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame (2003)

National Motorsports Press Association Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame (1990)

International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1994)

Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2005)
Years_In_Cup = 4
Total_Cup_Races = 47

Ralph Moody (b. September 10 1917, Taunton, Massachusetts - d. June 9 2004, Mooresville, North Carolina) was a NASCAR early driver, but became most famous as team co-owner of Holman Moody.

Background

He built his first Model T Ford race car in 1935, and ran it on nights and weekends. He served in the U.S. Army in World War II, and drove a tank under the command of General George S. Patton. He married his wife Mitzi in 1949, and they moved to Florida so that he could race all year.

NASCAR career

Moody won four races in 1956 for owner Pete DePaolo. He finished eighth in the final points, with 21 Top-10 finishes in 35 races.

He raced the first third of 1957, until Ford and the other American automobile manufacturers pulled out of racing.

Holman Moody

"for the main article, see Holman Moody"
Mr. Moody immediately took out a loan against an airplane he owned, and he and John Holman paid $12,000 to buy the shop and equipment that had been Ford's Charlotte-based racing operation ( [http://www.thatsracin.com/mld/thatsracin/archives/8881437.htm] ).

Holman Moody began as a racecar owner operation, but became more famous for their racecar building operation. Holman Moody chassis featured improvements such as tube shocks, square tubing frames, and rear ends with floater housings ( [http://www.near1.com/HALL-OF-FAME/2000/Moody_Ralph.htm] ). They built around 50 race cars a year until Moody sold his portion of the company after the 1971 season. They had won 92 NASCAR Grand National races.

Ralph Moody, Inc.

He then opened Ralph Moody Inc. in Charlotte. He built race engines and race cars, and did research and development of high mileage automobiles at that site for several years.

List of Halls of Fame inductions

*North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2003
*National Motorsports Press Association Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame in 1990
*International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1994
*Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005
*New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame in 2000
*Drag Racing Hall of Fame
*Old Timers Hall of Fame

References

* [http://www.thatsracin.com/mld/thatsracin/archives/8881437.htm Article on Ralph Moody at ThatsRacin.com] , link dead on March 8 2007
* [http://www.motorsportshalloffame.com/halloffame/1994/Ralph_Moody_main.htm International Motorsports Hall of Fame]
* [http://www.holmanmoody.com/ Holman Moody Website]
* [http://www.racing-reference.info/driver?id=moodyra01 Driver's statistics at racing-reference.info]
* [http://www.racing-reference.info/owner?id=holmamo01 Holman-Moody Owner's statistics at racing-reference.info]
* [http://www.near1.com/HALL-OF-FAME/2000/Moody_Ralph.htm Biography at New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame]
* [http://www.thatsracin.com/mld/thatsracin/archives/8881437.htm Obituary] , link dead March 8 2007
*cite news |title=Stock car legend Moody dies at 86 |url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2004-06-09-moody-obit_x.htm |work=USA Today |date=June 9 2004 |accessdate=2007-03-09