Jack Moss
The late Jack Moss from Amarillo, Texas enjoyed a lengthy racing career that began in the formative days of hot rodding prior to World War II. In today’s world, Jack was a very unique person. Before he began the racing portion of his career, he had to endure the challenges of being a Japanese Prisoner of war for 3 ½ years. He joined the Texas National Guard in 1940 at the age of 16, was called to active duty after Pearl Harbor, and was taken prisoner by the Japanese on January 11, 1942, and was forced to work on the “Death Railway” on such projects as the Bridge over the River Kwai. During the 42-month period, 57% of his unit, known as the “Lost Battalion” were lost. When he was released at the end of the war in 1946, Jack vowed to live life to the fullest.
After his honorable discharge, Jack married his wife, Nellie, raised a family of two sons and a daughter and proceeded to do his best to live up to his vow.
He started his own business in 1948, Moss Automotive, applying his military training, his love of cars and motorcycles and began building a very successful business. When Jack made a casual comment to a friend that he should take his modified stocker to the drags to see what it would do, his friend told him not to even bother so Jack immediately prepared it, took it to the track and began winning racing trophies at Texas Speedway in Amarillo, TX and the surrounding area tracks.
Not content to be a local racer, Jack also applied his talents to the Bonneville Salt Flats, midgets, sprint cars and super modified stock cars. His first dragster effort was his famous “Ramblin Ram” streamliner dragster with a supercharged small block Chevrolet engine for power with which in 1950 he smashed the existing Nebraska state class record of 130 MPH with a speed of 149.5 MPH. Jack built over 30 cars in his lifetime including his own twin small block Chevrolet powered “Too Much” with which he managed to put most of his competition on the trailer.
Between 1970 and 1983, Jack also raced off-road Enduro motorcycles, winning his State of Texas class three years in a row and posting his final Enduro award in 1982 at the age of 60. In 1978, Jack closed the doors on Moss Automotive and retired.
In addition to running Moss Automotive, building and racing his many vehicles and helping raise a family, Jack helped organize and taught at the Auto Mechanics Department at Amarillo College. At the 2012 NHRA Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, KY, Jack was presented with NHRA’s Lifetime Achievement Award (The Wally Trophy).