Continuing a tradition that began in 2003, off-road legend Larry Roeseler has been selected as the 2008 BFGoodrich Tires Motorsports Person of the Year. The honor was bestowed at the 41st Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500 press conference.
The award recognizes the achievements of drivers and officials representing each racing series in which Goodrich competes.
A Southern California native, Roeseler has been racing in the SCORE Baja 1000 since 1972. He has compiled 17 class wins, both on two wheels and four wheels, including a race-record 13 overall victories, 10 of which came on a motorcycle.
Roeseler has also amassed 11 SCORE Baja 500 overall wins, all of which contributed to this latest recognition.
To win the award, the person must have made a significant contribution to racing both on and off the track, demonstrated a commitment to excellence with an uncompromising passion for motorsports, shown a sincere dedication to improve off-road motorsports for all competitors and leave a positive lasting mark.
“Look back at the past recipients of the award and you’ll notice that some of the most recognized names in racing have been honored,” says Roberts Kukainis, Goodrich’s motorsports manager. “Our previous five are proof that the standard is high, and Roeseler is a fitting recipient. He’s a standup guy both on and off the race course, and we are extremely honored to recognize Larry with this award.”
Roeseler has endured rigors of off-road racing for more than 35 years on motorcycles, buggies and trucks. Having already established himself as a well-known off-road racer, Roeseler joined Kawasaki’s green team in 1987 where he went on to win 10 International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) gold medals, two silver medals and a bronze.
In 1999, Roeseler was honored by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) with an induction into the AMA Hall of Fame. After retiring from a successful motorcycle career in 1994, Roeseler’s four-wheel domination began. “Mr. Baja,” as he is often called, has 39 career SCORE Baja race wins, 17 career SCORE Baja 1000 class wins and 11 career SCORE International season point championships. He has been associated with the most high-profile teams in the business including Ivan Stewart, Terrible Herbst Motorsports, and currently Roger Norman Racing.
The 2008 season proved to be yet another success for Roeseler, as he capped it off with his 13th SCORE Baja 1000 overall win with teammate Roger Norman. Roeseler and Norman finished the 631.35-mile loop in their Norman Motorsports Ford F-150 Trophy Truck outfitted with BFGoodrich Baja KR off-road tires in 12 hours, 40 minutes and 33 seconds.
The 2008 SCORE Baja 1000 victory signified Roeseler’s fifth straight win, having won the last four years driving with Troy Herbst in Class 1, all five occurring on Goodrichs. The 2008 SCORE Baja 1000 victory was also the second straight win in 2008 for Roeseler and Norman, who won the SCORE Terrible’s Primm 300 in September.
The Norman Motorsports team finished second overall in the 2008 SCORE Trophy Truck class, just 20 points behind the 2008 SCORE overall points champion, B.J. Baldwin. Roeseler’s accomplishments did not end in 2008; he set a new Laughlin Leap record of 161 feet, 6 inches in his 1,000 horsepower No. 88 single seat Trophy Truck in January of this year.
Goodrich annually selects five finalists and a single winner is chosen. The inaugural recipient of the award in 2003 was Sal Fish, president and CEO of SCORE International. The 2004 winner, Rod Hall, is widely considered the most successful driver in off-road history, having earned 19 SCORE Baja 1000 class victories.
In 2005, Goodrich honored the contributions of Frank DeAngelo and recognized him as the cornerstone of the company’s motorsports program.
The 2006 honor was bestowed upon Marty Fiolka, editor-in-chief and director of the off-road group at Advanstar Communications, which publishes DIRTsports magazine and numerous other publications, including Motor Age, Aftermarket Business and Automotive Body Repair News.
In 2007, Rob MacCachren was recognized for his extraordinary contributions to off-road motorsports, numerous business accomplishments and the 40th annual SCORE Baja 1000 victory.
For more information, visit www.bfgoodrichtires.com and www.advanstar.com.
