1969 Trans-Am Mustang
Bud Moore Boss 302

By 1969, the fourth season of the SCCA’s Trans Am road-racing series, auto manufacturers’ substantial financial support had led to the involvement of several professional race teams who had the experience to build and campaign very fast and very well-prepared race cars. Among those teams was Bud Moore Engineering of Spartanburg, South Carolina, hired by Ford to field a two-car team (plus a third backup car) of its new Boss 302 Mustangs. Shelby Racing also fielded two Boss 302s. The cars were named after their engine, a high-revving, 302 cubic-inch, 470-horsepower V-8 with an aluminum dual-quad intake topped by two Holley 4500 Dominator four-barrel carburetors. Redline came in at an impressive 9000 RPM. Two experienced drivers were hired by Bud Moore to pilot the Boss 302s for the 12-race season. Parnelli Jones was assigned to car # 15 and George Follmer to # 16. A hard-fought battle against Mark Donohue in Penske Racing’s Sunoco Camaro ensued, and by mid-season the Manufacturers Championship points race stood at Mustang 46, Camaro 40. In the seventh race, at Le Circuit Mount Tremblant in St Jovite, Quebec, oil on the track caused a major wreck in which three Mustangs were damaged, including #16. Rebuilt in time for the next race at Watkins Glen, the Mustangs continued to race hard against Donohue for the rest of the season. By season’s end, the points deficit suffered at St Jovite proved too great to overcome, but the toughness of Bud Moore and the Boss 302 Mustangs put the competition on notice that he and his cars would be back to win the championship in 1970. Which they did.