The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

NASCAR-BGNN: Moore Scores 3rd Win of 1998

18 August 1998

Epping, NH Kelly Moore, driver of the Tic-Tac Pontiac, scored his 3rd win of the 1998 season Saturday evening at Star Speedway. Moore started the event from the pole position and treated fans to some exciting side-by-side racing action as Moore dueled with Tracy Gordon throughout the event for the front spot.

Moore went into the Star event pumped up after two weeks of disappointment and severely damaged racecars. After the past couple of weeks our guys have had, the hard luck we've suffered on the track, this is a real morale booster for us all, a jubilant Moore said. The Tic-Tac team has been hard at work to repair the racecars that will entered in the next two events at Jennerstown Speedway and New Hampshire International Speedway. Adding their third win of the year Saturday evening was a huge payoff to the team. We did have a couple of disappointing weeks, and it doesnt take long to get the teams morale down, crew chief Jamie Lorfano said. Our morale and spirit has been real good but to win this Saturday it makes everyone realize that the championship goal is still in sight.

The Tic-Tac team pulled off an excellent qualifying effort, powering the Tic-Tac Pontiac Grand Prix to the 3rd best time overall. Moore was happy with his qualifying effort and the changes the team had to make to deal with new paving that had been added to the track. "We had a faster track than weve had in the past because of the recent paving in turn 3 and 4, the 1995 Busch North Series champion explained. We had to change the setup of our car due to the greater adhesion in turns 3 and 4. We didn't test here so we made a few subtle changes. We thought we had a good qualifying car but we ended up qualifying 3rd and that was the key to our victory, qualifying up front."

Moore took the race lead and held onto the top spot for all but one lap through the first 130 circuits. Moore and Tracy Gordon pulled away from the 26-car field but raged an exciting on-track, side-by-side battle that captivated all fans in attendance. A nudge from Tracy Gordon moved Moore up the racetrack and allowed Gordon to take the lead on lap 131. "The race was pretty uneventful from my end until Tracy kept getting into me, just nudging me going in and out of the turns, Moore said. He got into the back of me getting out of the corner and got under me going down the backstretch. Going into turn 3 he got under me and he led for two or 3 laps. I was really racing Tracy hard on the outside for the next several laps and he was taking me up the racetrack so I had no choice but to fall in line behind him.

Gordon held onto the lead until lap 136 when Moore shot down to the inside and made a charge for the top spot. There was contact between Moore and Gordon, which pushed Gordon up out of the groove, allowing Moore and Leighton to get by. Tracy went high coming down the backstretch and I stuck it in there, said Moore. He (Gordon) come down off the top and hit me, not from behind since I was right under him. He went up the racetrack and I was able to pull away. Brad (Leighton) wasn't that far away and took second from him. It was pretty much clear racing from that point on."

Moore scored his 18th career Busch North Series, a NASCAR Touring Division, victory and his 3rd at the famed Star Speedway facility. Moore vaulted from 5th to 3rd place in the championship point standings and is now 116 points behind current leader Tom Carey, Jr. The Busch North Series will visit Jennerstown Speedway in Western Pennsylvania for a 150-lap event on August 22nd.