AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Passes
Cycle News Staff | January 24, 2023
AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ronnie Rall, a top Midwest dirt-track racer in the ’60s and ’70s, passed away on January 20 at the age of 84.
Rall, who was born in Sandusky, Ohio, about 100 miles north of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, began his professional racing career at 21 years old. Three years later he raced to his first of five AMA National wins.
A dedicated farmer, Rall never raced a full schedule of AMA Nationals except for the 1964 season, when he finished a career-best third in the championship.
Despite his limited opportunities, Rall found success, including a win in the 1969 season opener at the Houston Short Track. The race, which was held before a big crowd in the Houston Astrodome, was televised on ABC’s Wide World of Sports.
Finishing his national career in 1973 and his local racing career later in the 1970s, Rall retired from racing and continued farming. In retirement, Rall occasionally participated in vintage events.
Rall was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2001. CN