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Roy Moody, ROAR Member #2

Roy Moody, ROAR Member #2

Old 01-22-2008, 12:49 PM
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Unhappy Roy Moody, ROAR Member #2

There really isn't a good place on RCtech that this fits, so I'll post it here.

This past weekend was the 16th running of the Big G.O. event in Monee, Illinois, run by Roy Moody. It was a nitro dirt oval race that has been a fixture in the Midwest for quite some time, run at an indoor track that is known nationally by dirt oval racers. A three-day event with a typically great turnout. At the conclusion of Saturday's day of qualifying in which the owner of the track participated and greeted racers as he usually did, heading to a restaurant for dinner, Roy had a massive heart attack and passed away later that night. He was 81 years old, and raced right up to his very last day. The races continued unfettered on Sunday, because Roy wouldn't have let the races stop if it were up to him.


Some of you may or may not know who Roy Moody is, but for many of us, we owe much of this hobby to him. I've known Roy since 1983, when as a skinny little kid, met him at a Chicago-area gas car race as a friend of my fathers. Roy is a pioneer in R/C racing, carrying ROAR membership card #2 right up until the end.

For you electric racers, you owe Roy a lot more than you know. As the story goes, in 1974 he converted a Jerobee gas car to electric and ran it at the Nationals as a demonstration of electric power. Gene Husting from Associated and several others were so impressed that they set out to build 1/12th electic cars for the public. After that came off-road and you know the rest of the story.

Since then, Roy owned Moody Automotive which produced the fairly famous Moody American 1/8th gas sprint cars as well as the sprint car plans and drawings that were sold in RCCA for many years in the 80s. Roy also owned Monee R/C Raceway in Monee, Illinois for the last 17 years—one of the single oldest standing R/C-only facilities in the U.S. today.


Roy was a friend of mine for over 25 years, and has influenced my life in more ways that I can express in words. He was a fore-father of R/C car racing, and a pioneer of dirt oval R/C racing period. The first R/C car I ever saw was one of Roy's gas cars, and he was largely responsible for the majority of my life around R/C race cars, in general. He's the reason I built DirtOval.com in 1999, and why it still stands today.


I still feel like I was kicked in the gut after hearing the news of Roy's passing, and I know there are many others out there who feel the same. I wanted to let those of you who knew Roy know what happened, and those of you who didn't know who really was responsible for a lot of this wonderful hobby.

Speedy travels, old friend.







Roy A. Moody
1926-2008










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Old 01-22-2008, 12:55 PM
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Visitation/Memorial Service for Roy Moody:

Wednesday, January 23
4-8 pm Service at 8pm

Tews Funeral Home
18230 S. Dixie Highway
Homewood, Illinois

No flowers, please. Donations can be sent to:

The American Heart Association
3816 Paysphere Circle
Chicago, IL 60647
1-800-242-8721


Cards can be sent to:
Roberta Moody
755 Ash Street
Flossmoor, Illinois 60422


Online guestbook for Roy Moody.
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Old 01-22-2008, 12:56 PM
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I got to meet him two years ago. I just race the sizzler in wisconsin and mr sobottka asked me if i wanted to go watch some dirt racing the next day. We traveled to the track the next day to watch the race that was going on. Awesome facility, super smooth and super nice guy. Great pioneer for the hobby. My prayers are out to his family. Thank you for everything
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Old 01-22-2008, 01:29 PM
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Wow...

I was lucky enough to meet Roy, race at his track in the past... Certainly didn't know him as well as others, but what I did remember, one helluva guy...

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Old 01-22-2008, 01:39 PM
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Never met him in person, but talked to him on the phone. Super guy, totally dedicated, and quite an innovator. Coolest dirt car EVER, and that's a fact! RIP, Roy.

-Bob Stormer
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Old 01-22-2008, 02:11 PM
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I have heard Roy was also the inventor of the zip tie. Some also credit him with the "anglewinder" style of slot car in 1/32 scale, which was later introduced by Gene Husting to 1/24 scale. That was the dominant design for 40+ years...

RIP
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Old 01-22-2008, 02:15 PM
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Yes, Roy had a big hand in the "pan tie" as the former Vice President of Panduit Corporation, who's mainstay product is the zip tie strap that most of us are very familiar with.

Smart man, revolutionary thinker and monumentally important in the history of R/C cars.
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Old 01-22-2008, 03:16 PM
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I read alot about this gentleman, when I was a youngster in the late ī60:s when the hobby was young.
There was interesting articles about Heathkit Spectre and also more "pro tips".
He was a pioneer of the right sort, and a true inspirator.

Big thanks!
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Old 01-22-2008, 03:58 PM
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I was lucky enough to meet Roy, race at his track in the past a few times few years back. It was the first time I ever saw a pace car and a flagman @ a R/C race. Great track and great people!!!
I would like to wish my condolences to the Moody family.

Raymond McCoy
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Old 01-23-2008, 01:51 AM
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The Original OG (OOG)... always sad to hear of a pioneer leaving us!
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Old 01-26-2009, 05:20 PM
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i meet roy in 1971 at the nationals in west field indiana, just up the road from indianapolis. he was always a gentleman, a racer, and great an innovator.
without roy, r.o.a.r. and rc car racing would not be what it is today.
from the informal beginning of rc car racing in the early 70's to what it has become today is a shock to me and i dare say to roy too.
i'm sure many of the young racers today do not know of roy moody's contributions to this hobby. we, old timers know what a resource we have lost.
race on old friend.

michael hess
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Old 01-26-2009, 05:25 PM
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...
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Old 01-27-2009, 01:13 AM
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Never met the guy, but he sounded like a true inspiration to our hobby. RIP.
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Old 01-27-2009, 03:24 PM
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Never met him, but still have the Sprint Car plans that were available from RCCA. Spent a whole year in shop class in High School building two of them. Still remember the first race with them, and still have one car as a keepsake.

Godspeed Roy
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Old 01-27-2009, 04:38 PM
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Not sure if anyone noticed, but Roy passed over a year ago.
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