Junior business management major Mason Moore is one of the best sprint car racers in California, and he is driving just as hard in his college career at Chico State.

Born in Chico and raised in nearby Princeton, Moore is one of the premier sprint car racers in Northern California and has been tearing it up behind the wheel since he was 7 years old.

Moore gained his racing passion from attending races with his family and friends as a child at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, he said.

One of Moore’s biggest wins was the 2012 American Sprint Car Series’ National Race at Placerville, where he took first place and won $4,000. Mason’s father was his crew chief during the race.

“I was able to win,” Moore said. “When a local guy beats all the national series guys, it’s a big deal.”

Since he began his career as a sprint car racer, Moore has won and placed highly in races all over the country.

However, California is where he has experienced the most success with his current team, Brian Cannon Motorsports, which his father Garth Moore started. He currently drives the number 22 Coors Light-sponsored sprint car for the team.

Longtime friend and fellow sprint car racer Colby Copeland grew up racing against Moore and recently won first place at the Silver Dollar Speedway on April 17.

“Moore is always putting 100 percent into every lap, and he’s got a great motive for finishing and winning every race,” Copeland said.

Moore’s biggest paycheck yet was an $11,000 dollar purse in the Trophy Cup in Tulare last year, where he placed second overall.

When Moore isn’t out winning races and thousands of dollars on the track, he’s working hard on his business management degree.

On April 23, Chico State’s “Project Management” class held a science fair at Selvester’s Cafe-by-the-Creek. For “The Fifth Element,” Moore and his team created a project called water vibrations in only a two-week time frame.

“You can move water molecules to make it look standing still, forwards or backwards with the sound frequency,” Moore said. “By changing the sound frequency, you can make it look really cool.”

The team ran water out of a small hose attached to the speaker and adjusted the frequency of the sound to make the water pour into a small bucket in different ways based on the sound frequency.

With one more year to go at Chico State, Moore is looking forward to his future in racing and finishing his degree in business management.

Lars Gustafson can be reached at [email protected] or @larsonsports on Twitter.