{{short description|American businessman}} {{sources needed|date=April 2026}} '''Richard D. Moroso''' (1939-November 7, 1998) was an American hot rodder, drag racer, and businessman.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120722085742/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QAEtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=W84FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2807,993442&dq=palm+beach+international+raceway+history&hl=en Davis, Larry. ''Gasser Wars'' (Cartech, 2003), p.185];</ref>
Moroso was born in New Rochelle, New York and grew up in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. He started selling speed parts out of his family's basement in the early 1960s under the name Speed Associates. In the mid-1960s, Moroso and then partner Hank Dietrich opened Performance Automotive in Stamford.<ref name="ChicagoTribune-Moroso-NextKing-1990">{{cite web|last1=Purkey|first1=Mike|title=Stock Car Racing`s Next King?: Only 21, `Crown Prince` Rob Moroso Gets Big Buildup|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1990/02/25/stock-car-racings-next-king/|website=chicagotribune.com|publisher=Chicago Tribune, Knight Ridder Newspapers|access-date=17 May 2015|date=February 25, 1990}}</ref><ref name="DragCentral-DickMoroso-1998">{{cite web|title=Automotive Entrepreneur Dick Moroso Succumbs to Cancer|url=http://www.dragracecentral.com/drcstory.asp?ID=45246|website=Dragracecentral.com|publisher=Autosales, Inc.|accessdate=17 May 2015|location=Guilford, Connecticut|date=November 9, 1998}}</ref>
Moroso founded Moroso Performance Products, to supply aftermarket automotive parts to fellow hot rodders, in 1968, the year his son, Rob, was born.<ref name="ChicagoTribune-Moroso-NextKing-1990"/><ref name="DragCentral-DickMoroso-1998"/>
Moroso served as son Rob's owner and sponsor for much of his racing career.<ref name="ChicagoTribune-Moroso-NextKing-1990"/><ref name="DragCentral-DickMoroso-1998"/>
Driving a 1961 Corvette, Moroso won one NHRA national title, in D/MP (D Modified Production), at the 1966 NHRA Nationals, held at Indianapolis Raceway Park. His winning pass was 13.32 seconds at {{convert|103.21|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120722085742/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QAEtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=W84FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2807,993442&dq=palm+beach+international+raceway+history&hl=en Davis, p.185];</ref>
In 1981, Moroso purchased Palm Beach International Raceway, renaming it '''Moroso Motorsports Park'''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?hl=en|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120722085742/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QAEtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=W84FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2807%2C993442&dq=palm+beach+international+raceway+history&hl=en|url-status=dead|title=Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com|accessdate=Feb 13, 2019|archive-date=July 22, 2012}}</ref> In 1982, Moroso spent $100,000 to upgrade the facility to host the opening event of the 1983 SCCA Trans Am Series.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?hl=en|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120713155043/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wgAtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-c0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3919%2C1631329&dq=palm+beach+international+raceway&hl=en|url-status=dead|title=Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com|accessdate=Feb 13, 2019|archive-date=July 13, 2012}}</ref>
In 1996, Moroso considered spending $2 million on a one-mile oval track for stock car racing, but those plans fell through.<ref name="auto">{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PBPB&p_theme=pbpb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F3F6EB6CA8F4281&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |title=Palm Beach Post - News from The Associated Press |publisher=Nl.newsbank.com |date=May 20, 2002 |accessdate=September 1, 2010}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7kAgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zX0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4423,7494849&dq=moroso%20motorsports%20park%20died&hl=en|title=Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search|work=google.com|accessdate=June 17, 2016}}</ref>
Moroso died from brain cancer on November 7, 1998 in hospice care. <ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto1"/>
==Family== Moroso had a son, Rob,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Lazzarino|first1=Chris|title=Nascar Driver Moroso Is Killed In Highway Crash|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1990-10-02/sports/9002170136_1_tammy-williams-wilkesboro-charlotte-motor-speedway|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110060313/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1990-10-02/sports/9002170136_1_tammy-williams-wilkesboro-charlotte-motor-speedway|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 10, 2016|website=sun-sentinel.com|publisher=Sun-Sentinel|accessdate=17 May 2015}}</ref> who raced in NASCAR before he was killed while driving at more than twice the blood/alcohol limit in 1990.<ref name="NSSN">{{cite news|url=http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/features/through-the-lens/through-the-lens-rob-moroso |title=Through The Lens: Rob Moroso |publisher=National Speed Sport News |accessdate=2009-02-20 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207053435/http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/features/through-the-lens/through-the-lens-rob-moroso |archivedate=December 7, 2008 }}</ref> Dick had other children, Rick, who currently runs the company, and a daughter, Susan.
==Notes== {{reflist}}
==Sources== *Davis, Larry. ''Gasser Wars'', North Branch, MN: Cartech, 2003, p. 185.
{{Moroso Racing}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moroso, Dick}} Category:Dragster drivers Category:1998 deaths Category:Year of birth missing
{{US-autoracing-bio-stub}} Category:Racing drivers from New York (state) Category:Racing drivers from Connecticut Category:Sportspeople from New Rochelle, New York Category:People from Old Greenwich, Connecticut