DEI Developmental Driver set for Busch Series Debut This Weekend

Ryan Moore

MOORESVILLE, NC – Ryan Moore will make his inaugural attempt into NASCAR Busch Series racing in the New England 200 at New Hampshire International Speedway.

Moore, a 21-year old native of Scarborough, Maine, will pilot the No. 81 Oreo/Ritz Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. The 2003 Busch North Series rookie of the year was signed by DEI in the fall of 2004.

The son of Kelly Moore, who is the all-time record holder for most wins, Bud Pole Awards, money won and a past champion in the Busch North Series, heads to his home New England track coming off a hard-earned victory. Ryan Moore started on the Bud Pole and led every lap at the 3/8-mile oval of Lake Erie (Penn) Speedway on Saturday night for his first NBNS win.

“It was a car out of our family’s shop we’ve had a couple of years,” Moore said. “But, it had a DEI motor and some transmission components from them that worked pretty well for us. This is just my third year in the Busch North Series and the win felt pretty good.

“Now, I head to my home area of New England to make my first Busch Series attempt. The timing of winning that first one couldn’t be better. We tested at NHIS two weeks ago and had a pretty good car. They DEI crew said we’re going to be using another car that’s even better this weekend.

“I know the crew at DEI has been working hard on this and I can’t say enough about their efforts. Everyone at DEI has been pretty awesome to work with and I’m looking forward to this opportunity.”

Tony Eury, Sr., Director of Competition for DEI, will handle the crew chief duties for Moore.

“It’s great to have someone with as much knowledge as Tony Sr. to lean on this weekend,” Moore said. “He’s watched a lot of Busch races unfold through the years, so he’ll be able to give me advice on what and what not to do this weekend.

“The competition in the Busch Series has a lot of heavy hitters and it’s tough every week. I’m just looking forward to get a decent start, stay out of trouble, gain some respect from other competitors and have a good finish the first time out.”

Moore will be pulling double duty this weekend racing in the Busch and Busch North Series races. Having raced at NHIS several times, he said it will add to his comfort level in the Busch Series race.

Richie Gilmore, Vice-President of Motorsports, recognized some familiar attributes when he watched Moore and considered signing him with the team.

“We feel Ryan has a lot of the same characteristics we first saw in Martin Truex, Jr,” Gilmore said. “He’s a very smooth driver, has the same upbringing as Martin in that they both raced for their fathers. One of the biggest factors I like about Ryan is, because when you do race for your dad, you try and take care of the equipment. Just like Martin, Ryan has had to fix and work on his own cars. Tony Sr. has been real impressed with his talent and feedback during the testing. He’s also been right there in the shop working with guys getting his cars ready.

“Tony Sr. has been able to work with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and helped him to two Busch championships and 15 Nextel Cup wins. His experience has been great working with young drivers like Ryan Moore and we feel it will be a good combination.”

Ryan Moore career highlights
2004 – Competed in Busch North Series, won first Bud Pole Award, placed sixth in points earning five top-fives and eight top-10s
2003 – Competed in Busch North Series against his dad, Kelly Moore, earning Rookie of the Year honors
2002 – Competed in the ACT Tour winning Rookie of the Year honors
2001 – Late Model champion at Oxford (Maine) Speedway with four wins
2000 – Youngest driver to win (twice) at Oxford (Maine) Speedway in Late Models; earned Rookie of the Year honors