Larry Ragland was never known for braggadocio. He exemplified the saying “Speak softly, but carry a big stick.” He let his results on the race course speak for themselves. His 5 wins at the Baja 1000 are impressive, but he was even more successful racing in the Baja 500. His string of victories at the 500 spans 3 decades with 7 total wins. Five of those victories were first overall. His first Overall win came in 1982 in a VW powered Funco Class 1 buggy. It was the first 4 wheeled off-road vehicle he raced. In 1983 he won the SCORE Class 1 Championship. In ’84, he won Overall at the Baja 500 again, driving a Class 1 buggy. He also won his second straight Class 1 Championship in SCORE that year. His 3rd win at the Baja 500 came in 1991 after moving into a Class 8 truck the previous year.

The 1990’s saw some tough competition for Ragland. Another Baja 500 icon, Ivan Stewart, dominated the race. Ragland was far from done though, and was ready to reclaim his spot at the top of the podium. He went on an impressive winning streak taking wins in 2000, 2002, 2006, and 2007. Larry’s fast but smooth driving style was well suited for an endurance race like the Baja 1000, but when the call came to turn up the wick at the 500, he was equally skilled, and even more dangerous to the competition.