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©1999 SpeedCenter Publishing FONTANA, Calif. (October 31, 1999) - Greg Moore, a 24-year-old driver from Maple Ridge, British Columbia, died Sunday as a result of injuries sustained in an accident during Marlboro 500 Presented by Toyota at California Speedway. Moore, a four-year veteran of Champ Car competition with the Forsythe Racing Team, went off course and made contact with the wall coming out of Turn 2 on the 2.029-mile superspeedway. CART Safety Team officials removed Moore from the car and he was airlifted to Loma Linda University Medical Center. Moore was pronounced dead at 1:21 p.m. PT and the announcement was released by Dr. Jeff Grange, Medical Director of California Speedway. According to Dr. Grange, Moore sustained massive head injuries in the incident. Moore moved up to Champ Car competition in 1996 after a record-setting 1995 season in which he captured the Indy Lights championship. He became the youngest race winner in CART history when he won the 1997 event at Milwaukee at the age of 22 years, 1 month and 29 days. Moore followed with his second career victory a week later at Detroit. Overall, Moore claimed five career victories and four career pole positions in 72 CART career starts, including one of each this year in the season-opening event at Homestead, Fla. He owned four other top-five finishes and was ranked ninth in the season-long championship at the time of the accident. After four years with Forsythe Racing, Moore announced in August that he would join Team Penske for the 2000 season. "It's a tragedy," said Neil Blanche, director of marketing and communications for Player's. "At this time, all our thoughts and prayers are with Greg's family and friends." Moore began his racing career in 1989 when he won the North American Enduro Kart Racing Championship in only his third year in the sport. He repeated as champion the following season before earning consecutive rookie of the year championships in 1991 in the Esso Protec Formula 1600 and the USAC Formula 2000 West series championship. He debuted in the Indy Lights championship in 1993 and became the youngest driver ever to win a CART-sanctioned event with his Indy Lights victory at Phoenix a year later. His record-breaking 1995 season included 10 victories in 12 events, seven pole positions. His victory in the season-ending Indy Lights event at Laguna Seca allowed him to take the series record for career victories (13).
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