SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/726957
tier race teams over the years like Kawasaki, MacPherson, and Terrible Herbst. For 2016 Larry has moved to the CLP Motorsports team and will drive the NexGen Fuel/Safecraft Safety Trophy Truck. For the upcoming 49th SCORE Baja 1000, the team will field three Trophy Trucks, which consist of a variety of drivers such as five-time overall winner Andy McMillin in Andy's TSCO built truck. Supercross legend Jeremy McGrath is teaming with road racer and drifter Tyler McQuarrie in a brand new Diesel-powered Geiser truck, and Pat O'Keefe will drive the team's Brenthel truck. We caught up with Roeseler to discuss his outlook on the team, his new position at CLP Motorsports, and how he got to be one of Baja racing's legends from his long experience in the sport. SJ: What was your first race? LR: My dad got me a little Briggs and Stratton hard tailed mini bike when I was five years old. It was at Paris Raceway and was a trial event for kids. My dad came from flat track racing, so all my early races were TT style flat track racing. In the early '70s, I rode a Harley Davidson Baja 100. It had an Italian motor, and Harley sold it as a dirt bike. Later Harley supported our whole program and they were big in off-road for a few years because of that bike. Southern California District 37 racing is where it all really started for me. My first SCORE Baja 500 was in 1972. I was 15 years old and the race started at noon. The first 90 miles was pavement all the way to Camlu. We hit the dirt and went to El Rosario then to Lake Chapala. Then the course turned to what we now know as Coco's Corner, then on to Gonzaga Bay where I got off the bike. Mitch Mayes got on the bike and took it to the finish and we won the 125cc class. Bruce Ogilvie and I later raced the SCORE Baja 500 together on a 250cc version of the Harley, again with an Italian motor. We made a race version, we had frames made and used Yamaha forks and a Honda seat. We just hodge-podge what we thought were the best parts at the time. We won the SCORE Baja 500 overall in 1975 on the Harley. SJ: Most fans have seen you pre-running in your I-beam Ford but don't realize it's the same pre-runner you have used for over 20 years. Tell me about it. LR: I have to say I owe a lot to Curt Leduc for helping me build my pre-runner. Curt did all the geometry for the steering and LARRY ROESELER CELEBRATES WITH ROGER NORMAN AFTER WINNING THE PRIMM 300 025 SCORE JOURNAL