Considered one of the founding fathers of what is now known as the Bristol Motor Speedway, Carl R. Moore was certainly a force to be reckoned with for Bristol, Tennessee.
Noted for his decades of service as a local lawmaker, serving in the Tennessee House of Representatives and later as the majority leader of the Senate, Moore was a strong advocate for Bristol. He was instrumental in helping Bristol be recognized as the “Birthplace of Country Music” and took great pride in his role in the revitalization of downtown with the restoration of the Paramount Theatre and the Bristol Train Station.
But it’s his legacy with the Bristol Motor Speedway that was perhaps his greatest accomplishment. Along with Larry Carrier and R.G. Pope, Moore traveled to a NASCAR race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1961, which inspired them to build Bristol Motor Speedway, constructed on the former land of a dairy farm.
Moore, along with his co-founders, worked tirelessly to establish Bristol Motor Speedway and Bristol Dragway as they opened in 1961 and 1965, respectively. He also founded the International Hot Rod Association in 1970. Moore served in the Tennessee House of Representatives and later as the majority leader of the state Senate.
He was married to Elliott G. Moore, a father to four children, a veteran of the U.S. Army and served on the East Tennessee State University Board of Advisors.
Moore passed away on September 30, 2021, at the age of 91.