Canadian Greg Moore, like many other racers, started his career in karts and rapidly progressed up the racing ladder through Formula Ford and F2000 cars. In 1993 Moore graduated to the Indy Lights series where two years later we won the championship with a record breaking 10 wins in 12 events.

In 1996 at just 20 years of age he stepped up to the CART IndyCar (now ChampCar) series with the Forsythe team, where he just missed out on rookie of the year honors behind Alex Zanardi. The following year Moore scored his first IndyCar victory at Milwaukee [video below] (the youngest winner in series history at that time), with a second win the following week in Detroit. He had quickly established himself as a talent to watch with a quick and brave style.

He started the 1998 season as a potential championship winner but despite two more wins he finished a disappointed fifth overall. Despite obvious talent and potential Moore struggled through 1999 with a lack luster Mercedes engine in his Forsythe car and planned to switch to the power-house Penske team for the 2000 season.

During the weekend of the 1999 season-ending Marlboro 500 at Fontana in California Moore was knocked off his motor scooter and injured his right hand. After a medical consultation, and an in-car test, he was allowed to race using a hand brace albeit starting from the back of the grid after missing qualifying. On lap nine of the race Moore apparently lost control of his car in the exit of the second turn and spun into the infield grass at over 200 mph. His car hit an access road and was ‘tripped’ over to strike the infield concrete wall upside-down at unabated speed. He suffered massive head and neck injuries and he was airlifted to and pronounced dead at a local hospital. He was 24 years old.

During his short racing career Greg Moore had been a supporter of various charities and since his death his father Ric Moore has continued his charitable work under the Greg Moore Foundation.

Happy Birthday today to 5 times Le Mans winner Derek Bell (born 10/31/41),

fellow sports car racer Elliot Forbes-Robinson (born 10/31/43),

as well as Indy 500 winners Buddy Lazier (born 10/31/67)

and Buddy Rice (born 10/31/76)

This week two times World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz took time off from preparing for the upcoming Dakar rally to test a F1 Renault R25.

Sainz was left highly impressed by the car’s capabilities.

“The acceleration, the braking, the grip, everything is amazing in this car. In Formula One, you need to be a top athlete because the whole body is under duress. It is a unique experience, almost impossible to describe, and unlike anything I have felt before. I have been in a fighter plane, I have ridden a 500cc GP bike, but this is something else again. Renault has given me one of the best experiences of my life.”

Also lined up for a run in a modern F1 car is Alex Zanadri, who has not driven an F1 car since his disasterous 1999 season with Williams. Following his 2001 Champ Car crash which cost him both his legs Zanardi has been racing modified BMWs in the World Touring Car Championship. Thanks to that connection he will get to test a modified BMW-Sauber F1 car at the end of November. The car will feature a special brake pedal, which has been moved to the right side of the cockpit. To accelerate the car, Zanardi will use the shifting paddle on the left rear side of the steering wheel.

Tony Stewart was clearly the class of the field in yesterday’s NASCAR Nextel Cup event in Atlanta and was rewarded with a well deserved victory, his fourth of the season. His race and on-track performance was so trouble free that perhaps the most worrying moment was watching him scale the fence to the flag stand in his now customary victory celebration.

Behind him the ten drivers in “The Chase” had mixed fortunes with equal helpings of bad luck (Mark Martin), good luck (Dale Earnhardt Jr. – whose lucky debris caution flag was maybe just a little too fortuitous) and simple brain fade (Kasey Khane).

Following my comments last week it seems that Jimmy Johnson has decided to step up and make a play for the championship with a display of strong driving and brave moves. The fact that Matt Kenseth still leads the points charts after yet another consistent and safe drive still leaves me shaking my head.

On another personal note I’m not a fan of the way that the grid was set after Friday’s qualifying was rained out. The track was clear and dry on Saturday and everyone had an opportunity to turn practice laps, so why not use that time to run a qualifying session a day late?

Happy Birthday today to NASCAR veteran and current Craftsman Truck racer Joe Ruttman (born 10/28/44)