Malcolm Smith (1941–2024), Baja 1000 racing legend
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2 min readMalcolm Smith was a racing driver known for his five wins at the Baja 1000 and four at the Baja 500, both notoriously grueling desert races.
- Died: November 26, 2024 (Who else died on November 26?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Riverside, California of complications from Parkinson’s disease at the age of 83.
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Malcolm Smith’s legacy
Though Smith raced cars as well as motorcycles, it was on two wheels that he became a star of the racing world. He began racing motorcycles in the 1950s, and by the 1960s, he was a formidable competitor. In 1967, he and J.N. Roberts raced the first organized Baja 1000 as a team and won the motorcycle division. It was the first of two motorcycle victories for Smith in the Baja 1000; he also won three while driving cars. In 1971, he and Roberts won the Baja 500, and he went on to win the 500-mile race three more times in cars. Smith was also known for his eight wins over a decade at the International Six Days Trial.
One key piece of Smith’s rise to legendary status as a motorcycle racer was his prominent role in the 1971 documentary “On Any Sunday.” Also starring Steve McQueen (1930–1980), the Academy Award-nominated film helped introduce motorcycle racing to a wide audience and popularized BMX riding. For Smith personally, the success of the movie opened the door for a new chapter as an entrepreneur.
In the years after his racing career, Smith founded Malcolm Smith Gold Medal Products and Malcolm Smith Racing. Later, he opened a motorsports dealership, running the business alongside his wife and children. He was a member of the Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame, Motorsports Hall of Fame of America and Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
Notable quote
“I never had any plans. I just did one race and did as well as I could. As soon as that race was over I forgot about it, and instead focused on the next goal. Whether I would fall down in the race or get broken, I had the ability to forget about the bad and move on.” — from a 2020 interview for Motocross Action
Tributes to Malcolm Smith
Full obituary: Cycle World
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