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Larry Roeseler
"I've been racing since I was five years old. Back when I was five
years old, I didn't know racing could be this good, or my future.
N ow it's all come about."
By Dale Brown
Photos by Larry Langley, Charles Morey
and Brown
20
The places where 23-year-old Larry
Roeseler has left his mark as a speedy
cross-country racer stretch from the southern
tip of Mexic~'s Baja peninsula, clear across
North Amen'ca, through France and into
Sweden's High Chaparral area and the
Siegerland area of West Germany.
Ten years ago, at age 13, Larry was
listed as the youngest n'der to finish the
two-day, 'OO-mile Greenhorn enduro.
Since then, he has taken several number
one plates in AMA District 17 desert racing,
won just about every major off-road race,
and two Gold medals in International Six
Days Trial competition.
After nearly five years with Husqvarna
that began shortly after the ·197' Baja '00
that he and Bruce Ogz'lvie won for HarleyDavidson, Roeseler pulled up stakes at the
end of 1979 and joined Yamaha's new offroad team being organized by Kenny Clark
and Bill Bell.
1979 was a very impressive year for
Roeseler. On the final day of the ISDT,
where he took top A men'can honors, he
electrified the crowd of 10,000 watching
the final special test and left A men'can
spectators hoarse and delin'ous as he came
from behind to win.
Then a little over a month later, the first
Ensenada to La Paz Baja 1000 since 1973
was run, and Roeseler and partner Jack
Johnson dominated the race, finishing an
hour and a half ahead of the next bike.
His results in 1980 have been mixed. At
the Parker 400, partner Jack Johnson ran
into trouble and crashed. The resulting
time lost relegated the team to sixth. In
two National Enduros that he has
contested this year on an IT 1 n, he has a
first in class (the California desert) and a
fourth (Georgia snow).
Before the season started, we sat down
with Larry about two seasons - the one
now unfolding, and the one just past.
Here's what he had to say ...
