Mustang Girl Monday: Belinda Wiess-Moore The Racing Grandma

It’s Mustang Girl Monday by Team Mustang Girls. This week we would like to introduce Belinda Weiss-Moore, “The Drag Racing Grandma!”

Belinda has always had a passion for race cars. In the mid 1960’s two of her uncles raced Stock cars and Friday nights were spent at Raceway Park in Calumet Park, IL. Belinda didn’t know until many years later, that her father also liked to race. Later in the early 1970’s her free time was spent at the U.S. 30 drag strip watching friend’s of another uncle race. It’s safe to say that all these relatives had a hand in Belinda’s love of racing. After getting married and having two boys, the races went to the wayside. Then there was an advertisement for some racing at U.S. 41 in IN. Belinda decided to take her family and go watch. Walking through the pit area looking at the cars, she began to talk to an older woman who was racing. She doesn’t remember what kind of car she had, but on the side door were the words “Grandma’s Toy”. The women chatted and Belinda told her that she would like to race also some day. “The woman told me it was the most fun she had ever had. And she said to me, ‘you do that, and don’t wait until you are old like me’. She was 68, I was 46”.

In 1999, Belinda got a beautiful 1995 Deep Forest Green Mustang GT 5.0 as a Christmas gift from her husband’s brother. Of course being winter in IL there wasn’t much to do with a Mustang. It sat in the driveway getting snowed on as we didn’t have a garage.

Then in 2005 at the age of 49 with no kids at home, Belinda decided NOW was the time to get her race on. She went to a few NMRA races and watche. She knew that was what she wanted to do. In October of 2005 Belinda ran her first ever True Street race, back then it was called Wild Street. “I didn’t do too well, but had a blast. Mind you, a 1995 Mustang GT 5.0 coming out of the car showroom only had 215 HP, woohoo… I say my Grandma could run faster”. But Belinda didn’t care. She continued to race True Street with NMRA in the 15 second class and won 12 times. It wasn’t as easy as it looked. The car is still mostly stock with a cold air intake, 3.73 gears, racing transmission, 3 chamber Flowmaster exhaust, Pypes shorty ceramic headers, Steeda lower control arms, Nitto drag radials and UPR billet interior pieces.

“Needless to say, with more work, the car would be faster. It is too slow for the 14 second class and too fast for the 15 second class, so I have to drive it my way to make the 15 second class. Thus the 12 wins. Now when my race day is over, my husband Cliff races the same car in Bracket 3 the next day. Does he have any wins? Ummmm, no”. Now with 9 NMRA seasons under her belt and only attending a few races per season (Norwalk, OH, Joliet, IL and Bowling Green, KY) Belinda can say that she racked up an impressive True Street title with the most wins in the 15 second class in NMRA to date, as well as the 3rd most wins for any female racer in NMRA.

“In addition to my racing, I am 59 years old and the Grandma of 4. Not many people can say that their Grandma races a Mustang. So when you are at one of the races, find me in the pits. I grill burgers, chicken, brats and make salads to go with it. And I’ve been told I make awesome Snickerdoodle cookies and chocolate, chocolate chip, chocolate frosted brownies. Stop by and sit a spell”. Best invite we’ve gotten all year, see you soon Belinda!Belinda and her husband Cliff also attend many car shows, cruise nights and travel with the same car to events. They drove to Nashville, TN for the Mustang 40th Anniversary, to Birmingham, AL for the 45th, and Charlotte, NC for the 50th. They also belong to Green Mustang Registry # 157 and to the Northern Mustang Corral car club.

Each week Team Mustang Girls features a different woman and her Mustang. Check out the past featured ladies from Mustang Girl Monday and submit your own Mustang story at TeamMustangGirls.com.