Top 10 Desert Racers

Here's my list of who I think are the top 10 best desert racers lets see your picks

1- Ivan Stewart
2- Bill Stroppe
3- Corky McMillin
4- Walker Evans
5- Rod Hall
6- Robby
7- Rob MacCachren
8- Larry Ragland
9- Roger Mears
10- Manny Esquerra

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by mj on October 23, 2012 at 11:41pm

If I put Larry in I'd probably put him 4th bumping everyone else down a notch and taking Manny outta the top 10

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bruce Smith on October 24, 2012 at 9:21am

Why is Bill Stroppe on the list? He was a very important guy in the history of the sport for sure, but not a driver. If you include him then why not Sal Fish, Call Wells and a dozen others that made the sport what it is, but weren't drivers?

On the top of the list should be Larry Rossler. Malcolm Smith should be on this list too. Maybe M/T? I would list the McMillins as a "family effort" rather than just Corky.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by mj on October 24, 2012 at 1:07pm

Bill co/drove the 1000 in 1971&1972 w Parnelli Jones . As for Corky , yeah the whole family raced but Corky is the patriarch of the family plus he also made a few of the innovations we have today . Mickey Thompson yes should've been on my list , but I consider him more for the stadium stuff than desert .

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bruce Smith on October 24, 2012 at 2:06pm

Co-driver does't mean much to me. Sometimes rules require two people in the car for certain classes. Stupid rule if you ask me. Some of my co-drivers were an asset, but other times I just wanted the person that weighed the least straped in over there. You said "racer" as as much as I think Bill was one of the coolest guys I ever knew he didn't drive more than a handful of times in the desert. And then it was mostly just to bring a wounded car back to the pits.

OK, I see why you picked Corky.

M/T was the racer's racer. When I had my race shop in L.A. Mickey's shop was on the way home and he was always in there working on his cars no matter how late it was. Few racers can say they beat him in a desert race that he finished. And there wouldn't be a SCORE without M/T

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by mj on October 24, 2012 at 2:19pm

I see your point w Mickey just curious I'd like to see your top 10 list so we can compare lists and see how many of our picks are the same . Part of the reason I made this list is cause Robby Mac just got inducted in the Hall of Fame this yr and honestly I thought our Robby should've been put in before him . ( but then again I'm kinda bias lol )

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bruce Smith on October 24, 2012 at 2:57pm

Maybe TOG can do a poll for this. Top 5 or 10 drivers. Top 5 or 10 how weren't drivers, but still were important in desert racing. Top 5 or 10 sponsors or suppliers. Might be fun.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by mj on October 24, 2012 at 3:03pm

That does sound cool how bout it TOG .

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bruce Smith on October 24, 2012 at 3:31pm

1. Larry Rossler

2. Walker Evans

3. Ivan Stewart

4. Malcolm Smith

5. and back. No special order; Robby Gordon, Rodney Hall. Mickey Thomson, Roger Mears, RG's Dad, Bobby Ferral. Scoop Vessels. Any of the drivers that were on the original Stroppe Bronco Team, that didn't "buy" their rides. Besides Hall, there was Larry Minor, Ray Harvick, Carl Jackson, and Jim Loomis. Strangely, all those guys lived in Hemet and learned about driving on outings with the Hemet Jeep Club. For the most part I remember the guys that raced trucks.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by mj on October 24, 2012 at 3:43pm

Wow Walker ahead of Ivan that was a toss up for me too . Went with Ivan cause hes basically more famous meaning people who don't follow the sport have heard of Ivan more than Walker . Lots of great picks there though , this is exactly what I hoped for when I made this post . Especially hearing from the old desert dogs like you lol . I consider myself a desert dog too but when I get around you west coast guys I'm more like a desert PUP lol