Robert James Moroso (September 26, 1968 September 30, 1990) was an American NASCAR racing driver who was champion of the NASCAR Busch Series (now O'Reilly Auto Parts Series) in 1989, and was posthumously awarded the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup (now NASCAR Cup Series) Rookie of the Year award. A promising young driver, he and another driver were killed when Moroso was driving under the influence at excessive speeds on roads near his hometown of Terrell, North Carolina. founder of Moroso Performance, suppliers of aftermarket automotive parts, and former owner of Moroso Motorsports Park in Jupiter, Florida.
Early life
Moroso grew up in Madison, Connecticut, with two other siblings, Rick and Susan. His father was Richard D. "Dick" Moroso, who served as owner and sponsor for much of the younger Moroso's racing career.
After graduating from high school, Moroso enrolled in courses at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina, though he failed to complete them. He also attended the Buck Baker Racing School at Rockingham Speedway. He would race one more time in 1988 and ran two races in 1989 as a warm up for the following season. Moroso declared he was running for Rookie of the Year in the 1990 season, driving the No. 20 Crown Central Petroleum Oldsmobile for his father.
Investigations revealed that he had been driving under the influence of alcohol. Moroso had been seen drinking several beers at a Cornelius, North Carolina, lounge prior to the crash, and his blood alcohol level was found to be 0.22, over twice the then legal level of 0.10. He also had been convicted of speeding four times between 1987 and 1989, and had been involved in two prior highway crashes which included a rollover.
Moroso earned enough points after completing just 25 of 29 races that he was awarded the Raybestos NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award in 1990, the only driver to ever receive the award posthumously.
|-
! rowspan=3| Moroso Racing
! rowspan=2| 22
! rowspan=3| Olds
| colspan=25|
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| NWS<br><small>31</small>
| CAR
| PHO
| ATL
|-
! 1989
| DAY
| CAR
| ATL
| RCH
| DAR
| BRI
| NWS
| MAR
| TAL
| CLT
| DOV
| SON
| POC
| MCH
| DAY
| POC
| TAL
| GLN
| MCH
| BRI
| DAR
| RCH
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| DOV<br><small>28</small>
| MAR
| CLT
| NWS
| CAR
| PHO
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ATL<br><small>34</small>
! 63rd
! 140
!
|-
! 1990
! 20
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| DAY<br><small>38</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| RCH<br><small>15</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| CAR<br><small>30</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ATL<br><small>33</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| DAR<br><small>26</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BRI<br><small>30</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| NWS<br><small>32</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MAR<br><small>13</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| TAL<br><small>37</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| CLT<br><small>26</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| DOV<br><small>29</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SON<br><small>42</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| POC<br><small>36</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MCH<br><small>16</small>
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| DAY<br><small>9</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| POC<br><small>32</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| TAL<br><small>12</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GLN<br><small>13</small>
| style="background:#CFCFFF;"| MCH<br><small>26</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BRI<br><small>30</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| DAR<br><small>13</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| RCH<br><small>28</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| DOV<br><small>28</small>
| style="background:#CFCFFF;"| MAR<br><small>21</small>
| style="background:#CFCFFF;"| NWS<br><small>21</small>
| CLT
| CAR
| PHO
| ATL
! 30th
! 2184
!
|}
Daytona 500
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"
|-
! Year
! Team
! Manufacturer
! Start
! Finish
|-
| 1990
| Moroso Racing
| Oldsmobile
|align=center| 36
|align=center style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 38
|}
Busch Series
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:75%"
!colspan=42| NASCAR Busch Series results
|-
! Year
! Team
! No.
! Make
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! 10
! 11
! 12
! 13
! 14
! 15
! 16
! 17
! 18
! 19
! 20
! 21
! 22
! 23
! 24
! 25
! 26
! 27
! 28
! 29
! 30
! 31
!
! Pts
! Ref
|-
! rowspan=2| 1986
!
! 23
! Olds
| DAY
| CAR
| HCY
| MAR
| BRI
| DAR
| SBO
| LGY
| JFC
| DOV
| CLT
| SBO
| HCY
| ROU
| IRP
| SBO
| RAL
| OXF
| SBO
| HCY
| LGY
| ROU
| BRI
| DAR
| RCH
| DOV
| MAR
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ROU<br><small>21</small>
| CLT
| colspan=2|
! rowspan=2| 59th
! rowspan=2| 209
! rowspan=2|
|-
! Hendrick Motorsports
! 15
! Olds
| colspan=29|
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| CAR<br><small>18</small>
| MAR
|-
! 1987
! rowspan=3| Moroso Racing
! rowspan=3| 25
! rowspan=3| Olds
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| DAY<br><small>15</small>
| HCY
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MAR<br><small>28</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| DAR<br><small>16</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BRI<br><small>30</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| LGY<br><small>19</small>
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| SBO<br><small>8</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| CLT<br><small>28</small>
| DOV
| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| IRP<br><small>5</small>
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| ROU<br><small>8</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| JFC<br><small>15</small>
| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| OXF<br><small>5</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SBO<br><small>13</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| HCY<br><small>16</small>
| style="background:#CFCFFF;"| RAL<br><small>21</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| LGY<br><small>13</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ROU<br><small>13</small>
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| BRI<br><small>7</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| JFC<br><small>22</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| DAR<br><small>36</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| RCH<br><small>11</small>
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| DOV<br><small>9</small>
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| MAR<br><small>6</small>
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| CLT<br><small>7</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| CAR<br><small>12</small>
| style="background:#CFCFFF;"| MAR<br><small>24</small>
| colspan=4|
! 15th
! 2949
!
|-
! 1988
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| DAY<br><small>9</small>
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| HCY<br><small>10</small>
| style="background:#CFCFFF;"| CAR<br><small>22</small>
| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| MAR<br><small>3</small>
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| DAR<br><small>6</small>
| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| BRI<br><small>4</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| LNG<br><small>13</small>
| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| NZH<br><small>2*</small>
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| SBO<br><small>7</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| NSV<br><small>16</small>
| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| CLT<br><small>4</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| DOV<br><small>12</small>
| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| ROU<br><small>4</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| LAN<br><small>18</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| LVL<br><small>20</small>
| style="background:#FFFFBF;"| MYB<br><small>1</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| OXF<br><small>40</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SBO<br><small>13*</small>
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| HCY<br><small>9</small>
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| LNG<br><small>6</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| IRP<br><small>33</small>
| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| ROU<br><small>3</small>
| style="background:#CFCFFF;"| BRI<br><small>27</small>
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| DAR<br><small>8</small>
| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| RCH<br><small>3</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| DOV<br><small>34</small>
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| MAR<br><small>10</small>
| style="background:#FFFFBF;"| CLT<br><small>1</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| CAR<br><small>11</small>
| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| MAR<br><small>2</small>
|
! 2nd
! 3986
!
|-
! 1989
| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| DAY<br><small>3*</small>
| style="background:#FFFFBF;"| CAR<br><small>1</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MAR<br><small>23</small>
| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| HCY<br><small>3</small>
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| DAR<br><small>9</small>
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| BRI<br><small>6</small>
| style="background:#CFCFFF;"| NZH<br><small>22</small>
| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| SBO<br><small>4</small>
| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| LAN<br><small>2</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| NSV<br><small>18</small>
| style="background:#FFFFBF;"| CLT<br><small>1</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| DOV<br><small>17</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ROU<br><small>20</small>
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| LVL<br><small>9</small>
| style="background:#FFFFBF;"| VOL<br><small>1*</small>
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| MYB<br><small>7*</small>
| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| SBO<br><small>5</small>
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| HCY<br><small>28</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| DUB<br><small>13</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| IRP<br><small>14</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ROU<br><small>16</small>
| style="background:#CFCFFF;"| BRI<br><small>22</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| DAR<br><small>12</small>
| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| RCH<br><small>4</small>
| style="background:#CFCFFF;"| DOV<br><small>23</small>
| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| MAR<br><small>2</small>
| style="background:#FFFFBF;"| CLT<br><small>1</small>
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| CAR<br><small>12</small>
| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| MAR<br><small>3</small>
| colspan=2|
! 1st
! 4001
!
|}
Busch North Series
{| class="wikitable"
|+
! colspan="30" |NASCAR Busch North Series results
|-
!Year
!Team
!No.
!Make
!1
!2
!3
!4
!5
!6
!7
!8
!9
!10
!11
!12
!13
!14
!15
!16
!17
!18
!19
!20
!21
!22
!23
!NBNC
!Pts
!Ref
|-
!1987
!n/a
!n/a
!n/a
|
|OXF
16
| colspan="21" |
!n/a
!n/a
!
|}