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Thomas Praytor
Thomas Praytor
	Praytor in 2016
Born	Thomas Praytor IV; February 8, 1990 (age 34); Mobile, Alabama
ARCA Menards Series career
	113 races run over 11 years
Best finish	5th (2016)
First race	2012 Mobile ARCA 200 (Mobile)
Last race	2022 General Tire 200 (Talladega)
	Statistics current as of February 1, 2020.

Thomas "Moose" Praytor IV (born February 28, 1990) is an American professional stock car racing driver who last competed part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 9 Chevrolet for his family team, Max Force Racing.

Racing career

Praytor started racing at eight years old in a borrowed yard kart from a family friend. He quickly progressed from karts to Bandoleros, where Praytor would drive one that was sponsored by The Outdoor Channel. He later began racing late models, running in the Southeast and picking up three US Army Rookie of the Year titles, local and state titles. Praytor and the Max Force Racing team earned the Ironman Status of the Gulf Coast competing in every Pro and Super Late Model Race at Mobile International Speedway and Five Flags Speedway while finishing in the top 10 of the Championship standings at both tracks.

Praytor made his first ARCA Racing Series start at the inaugural ARCA Mobile 200 at the Mobile International Speedway in 2012. He made later starts at Talladega Superspeedway and also saw starts with Venturini Motorsports. In the 2013 season, Praytor ran for rookie of the year as it was his first full season in ARCA. He drove the No. 2 Ford/Chevrolet for Hixson Motorsports and finished the season ninth in points and also earning the HG Adcox Sportsmanship Award.^[1] Returning to the Hixson No. 2 in 2014, Praytor acquired sponsorship DK-LOK Fittings and Valves and ended the season eighth in points. Praytor was also named the Hard Charger Driver after the Herr's Chase the Taste 200 in Winchester. For the 2015 season, Praytor and his father Tommy started their team, Max Force Racing, which fielded the No. 9 DK-LOK Ford for Praytor, who would finish ninth in points. The team was named in memory of Thomas's brother Max, who died in June 2001.^[2]

Praytor statistically had his best season in 2016. Competing in all 20 events and earning 4 top-10 finishes, he went on to finish 5th in season points. The following year, Praytor dropped to seventh in points, not earning a top-10 that year but still having a consistent season overall.

In 2018, the team would cut back their schedule, only running the first four races before taking a break. The team would return to field their No. 9 car for Jesse Iwuji at Chicago. Additionally, the Max Force team entered a second car at Daytona, the No. 99, for Ronnie Osmer.^[3] Their only races in 2019 came at Talladega, where Praytor would finish 20th in the race. Their next race would not come until Daytona in 2020, where it was later revealed that they took most of the 2019 season off so Praytor could spend time with his newborn son, (Hugh) Thomas Praytor V.^[4]

Personal life

Praytor was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, and is the son of local realtor and owner of Praytor Realty, Thomas ("Tommy") Praytor III, who also used to drive racecars.^[2]

Praytor is nicknamed "Moose". The name derived from one of Praytor's first cars being sponsored by The Outdoor Channel and featuring a giant Moose coming out of the rear wheel well. When that paint scheme was run, the name "Thomas" above the window net on the car was changed to "Thomoose", which was later shortened to "Moose" and the nickname stuck. Every car Praytor has driven since then has had "Thomoose Praytor" above the window net.^[2]

Praytor is a weekly host on the Inside ARCA Racing radio show on WNSP, a station in his home state of Alabama. Praytor's segment, the "Moose Call", is named after his nickname.^[2]

In 2008, Praytor's team had a car for sale, which led to a partnership with Warner Brothers Pictures for the film series Final Destination's fourth installment, The Final Destination. Filmed at Mobile International Speedway, Praytor and fellow driver David Ellis worked as stunt drivers for the film.^{[citation needed]}

During the 2013 season, Praytor joined up with Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback A. J. McCarron to design a McCarron replica helmet; Praytor wore the helmet at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega, after which it was donated to the Alabama Institute of the Deaf and Blind to benefit the annual Race Fever Action.

On May 9, 2022, it was revealed that Praytor was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis. On lap 5 of the 2022 General Tire 200, Praytor lost movement in his left arm and leg. He would drive with his right hand, until the red flag came out with 10 laps to go. He went through a driver change, with Sean Corr taking over his car for the remaining 10 laps. Medical personnel removed Praytor from the car, where he was transported to the infield care center. He had flu-like symptoms just a few days prior to the race.^[5]

Motorsports career results

ARCA Menards Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Menards Series results
Year	Team	No.	Make	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	AMSC	Pts	Ref
2012	Andy Belmont Racing	5	Ford	DAY	MOB 34	SLM																			58th	370	^[6]
	Andy Belmont Racing	2	Ford				TAL 20	TOL	ELK	POC	MCH	WIN	NJE	IRP	IOW	CHI	POC	BLN	ISF
	Venturini Motorsports	35	Chevy																	MAD 28
	Venturini Motorsports	66	Toyota																		SLM 28	DSF	KAN
2013	Hixson Motorsports	2	Ford	DAY 22			TAL 22			POC 16	MCH 10			CHI 23									KEN 19	KAN 19	9th	4210	^[7]
			Dodge		MOB 16	SLM 21
			Chevy					TOL 18	ELK 10			ROA 16	WIN 9		NJE 17	POC 24	BLN 18	ISF 22	MAD 14	DSF 20	IOW 21	SLM 17
2014			Chevy	DAY 31			TAL 22		NJE 15			ELK 15	WIN 12					ISF 15	MAD 13	DSF 13					7th	3950	^[8]
2014			Ford		MOB 11	SLM 11		TOL 21		POC 13	MCH 14			CHI 18	IRP 16	POC 16	BLN 20				SLM 13	KEN 21	KAN 20		7th	3950	^[8]
2015	Max Force Racing	9	Ford	DAY 24	MOB 7	NSH 10	SLM 15	TAL 20	TOL 16	NJE 15	POC 16	MCH 17	CHI 21	WIN 15	IOW 18	IRP 19		BLN 18	ISF 16	DSF 13	SLM 18	KEN 16	KAN 14		8th	3930	^[9]
2015		12	Chevy														POC 28								8th	3930	^[9]
2016		9	Ford	DAY 14	NSH 18	SLM 17	TAL 16	TOL 14	NJE 21	POC 20	MCH 14	MAD 9	WIN 11	IOW 15	IRP 15	POC 21	BLN 8	ISF 8	DSF 9	SLM 14	CHI 15	KEN 14	KAN 15		5th	4055	^[10]
2017			Ford	DAY 29	NSH 28	SLM 14	TAL 12	TOL 14	ELK 15	POC 24	MCH 19	MAD 13	IOW 18	IRP 17	POC 22	WIN 14	ISF 13	ROA 19	DSF 11	SLM 16	CHI 30	KEN 14	KAN 20		7th	3790	^[11]
2018			Chevy	DAY 14			TAL 21	TOL	CLT	POC	MCH	MAD	GTW	CHI	IOW	ELK	POC	ISF	BLN	DSF	SLM	IRP	KAN		37th	560	^[12]
2018			Ford		NSH 18	SLM 19																			37th	560	^[12]
2019			Chevy	DAY	FIF	SLM	TAL 20	NSH	TOL	CLT	POC	MCH	MAD	CHI	GTW	ELK	IOW	POC	ISF	DSF	SLM	IRP	KAN		77th	130	^[13]
2020				DAY 11	PHO	TAL	POC	IRP	KEN	IOW	KAN	TOL	TOL	MCH	DAY	GTW	L44	TOL	BRI	WIN	MEM	ISF	KAN		60th	33	^[14]
2021				DAY	PHO	TAL 17	KAN	TOL	CLT	MOH	POC	ELK	BLN	IOW	WIN	GLN	MCH	ISF	MLW	DSF	BRI	SLM	KAN		101st	27	^[15]
2022				DAY	PHO	TAL 19	KAN	CLT	IOW	BLN	ELK	MOH	POC	IRP	MCH	GLN	ISF	MLW	DSF	KAN	BRI	SLM	TOL		104th	25	^[16]