Robert James Moroso (September 26, 1968 September 30, 1990) was a NASCAR racing driver who was champion of the NASCAR Busch Series (now Xfinity 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. Born in Greenwich, Connecticut, he was the son of Dick Moroso, 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. Racing career Busch Series Moroso made his debut in the Busch Series at Orange County Speedway in North Carolina in 1986, two days after his 18th birthday. Driving the No. 23 Old Milwaukee Chevrolet, he qualified an impressive sixth, but finished 21st after suspension issues. He made his second start of the season in Rick Hendrick's No. 15 Chevrolet at Rockingham Speedway, finishing 18th. Moroso began running full-time in 1987, driving the No. 25 Oldsmobile owned by his father and sponsored by Moroso Performance. Moroso ran 25 of 27 races that season, with eight top tens and a 15th-place points finish. 1988 was a breakout season for Moroso. He won his first career race in July 1988 at Myrtle Beach Speedway, at the age of 19, after out-dueling defending series champion Larry Pearson. He would score his second win of the season at Charlotte, and finished second in the final Busch series points to Tommy Ellis. In 1989, Moroso was vying with veteran driver Tommy Houston for the championship in the final race of the year, at Martinsville Speedway. Houston's engine failed during the race, while Moroso finished third and won the title by 55 points over Houston. At the time Moroso was the youngest champion in the history of NASCAR. Moroso won a total of six races from 1988 to 1989, including 3 consecutive