Morales, Veteran Car Owner, Dies : Sponsored Drivers of Indy and Sprint Races Since 1950s

Veteran Indy car and sprint car owner Alex Morales of Anaheim died Friday night at Martin Luther King Hospital in Anaheim after a long bout with cancer. He was 80.

Services will be held at Forest Lawn in Cypress. Viewing will be Tuesday from 2-9 p.m., with the funeral Friday at 10:30 a.m. at the Church of Our Father.

Morales had entered cars for the Indianapolis 500 since 1975, and was best known for giving rides to young Southern California drivers such as Jimmy Caruthers, Bobby Olivero, Mike Mosley, Billy Vukovich Jr. and Pancho Carter. They all drove for his Alex Foods team.

Morales was president and chairman of the board of Alex Foods, Inc., manufacturer of more than 200 products throughout the United States and Canada.

In recent years, Morales’ cars had other sponsors and his drivers were Johnny Rutherford and Howdy Holmes.

In 15 years, Morales’ cars won three Indy events--the 1981 Michigan 500 with Carter and the 1986 Michigan 500 and a 150-mile race at Sanair, Canada, in 1985 with Rutherford.

Locally, Morales was best known for his Tamale Wagon sprint cars that won 6 California Racing Assn. championships and 129 races, second only to Bruce Bromme’s 139 in CRA competition.

Morales also was the engine builder of Tamale Wagon, and he rarely missed a race.

Morales’ CRA champions included Chuck Hulse in 1959; Bob Hogle, 1963; Hogle and Vukovich, 1967; Hogle, 1974; Olivero, 1975, and Rick Goudy, 1978.

Survivors include his wife, Novella; sons, Andy, Terry and Scott; daughter Betty, and daughters-in-law Darla and Debroah.