In the last two races, Craig Moore has seen potential wins slip away but he is battling back every week and finds himself atop the championship standings.
Moore, 37, has been racing Late Model Stock Cars off and on since 2003 and has won a championship at Orange County Speedway (2013) and has around 20 feature wins. This season, he has picked up two wins and leads the points standings but he is fighting plenty of adversity.
“Last two races, the race before last, we were going for the lead with Chris Denny and we made contact,” Moore explained. “Nothing intentional. When I checked up to miss him, Terry Dease hit me. Last week, we were racing for second and Stacy Puryear decided to spin me out for no reasons. Coming back to fifth or sixth and Terry Dease decided to spin me out. It was a wild race.”
The incidents with Dease and Puryear in the most recent race have him wondering if he has a target on his back.
“Sometimes you’ve got to wonder,” Moore said. “I don’t know. It’s the middle of the season and people that haven’t running that well or haven’t won a race are hungry and will do whatever it takes. My problem is, I’m running for points and you have guys running one or two races who mess you up in the points. I don’t like that.”
Moore, who began racing go-karts in 1986, is a throwback, independent driver who builds his own cars and engines — part of a dying breed in racing. He works along with his crew chief, Nate Hagis, who is also his primary sponsor (EDH Glazing Contractors). Last year, he spent the entire season working on a brand new car — a car that has speed, but one he’s still trying to get a handle on.
“We’ve had a good car all year,” Moore commented. “I’ve run second twice. This car is pretty good. I took last year off and built my car from scratch. It took a little time to get it figure out. It’s fast but we’re searching for that setup you can get on and stay on.”
Even though he leads the points, Moore’s focus is on winning races.
“I go to win races and points fall into place,” Moore stated. “I won’t put pressure on myself to win points. If you do that, you put too much stress on yourself. If we win races or finish top three, points will take care of themselves.”
When Moore began racing, it was with his uncle, Preston Oakley. Oakley passed away from colon cancer earlier this year and he was seen as a father of sorts to Moore. Oakley was the one who got him into racing. While Moore is not focusing on points, he says a championship would be a great way to honor his uncle.
“If I win the championship, I’ll dedicate it to my uncle Preston Oakley,” Moore remarked. “He got me started in go-karts. He passed away from colon cancer four months ago. He was like a father to me. We raced go-karts for 7-8 years. If I win the championship, it’s for him.”
Moore will look to rebound in Saturday night’s 75 lap Late Model Stock Car race at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, North Carolina.
