ORMHOF Welcomes Two New Board Members

The Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame would like to welcome Gary Haugley and Rich Klein to the board of directors.  ORMHOF is governed by an all-volunteer board headed by chairman Mark McMillin.  "Gary and Rich are great new additions to our board," said Mark. "They have been long-time supporters of ORMHOF and will help us to fulfill the goals, mission, and values of the Hall of Fame."

GARY HAUGLEY

Gary Haugley has been involved in off-road for 50 years. "I have never lost my passion for it," says Gary.  

Gary has built, modified, and restored all types of collector vehicles. He and his wife Jan owned B&R Buggie in Oceanside, California from 1980 to 2018.  He developed a new and successful line of custom street and off-road aluminum wheels that were designed and manufactured in the USA.  For ten years, Gary's business contracted with the US Marines First Force Reconnaissance (FORCE RECON) Company, where he trained Marines on vehicle maintenance and off-road and night driving techniques for their Light Strike Vehicles (LSV), the military-variant of a commercially-produced and proven off-road racing vehicle.

New ORMHOF board member Gary Haugley at Pismo Beach with his six-door Volkswagen Thing once owned by ORMHOF inductee Scoop Vessels.

In 2005, Gary became a certified and licensed Automobile Appraiser and a member of the International Automobile Appraiser Association (IAAA) and started his own appraisal business.  He is currently the San Diego representative of Classic Auto Appraisers of San Diego, an appraisal service available to owners, collectors, insurers, enthusiasts, and financial institutions. Gary appraises all types of vehicles, including antique, classic, off-road, hot-rods, street rods, custom vehicles, and motorcycles.

Gary has served as an expert witness during court cases with positive trial results for his clients. He is also a member of the Auto Mediators Association (AMA) and holds a certificate from the IAAA's Uniform Standards for Automotive Appraisal Procedures (USAAP).

In 2013, Gary was selected to be a Concours judge at some of the most exclusive collector car events in America, including the La Jolla Concours d'Elegance, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, and the Rancho Mirage Concours d'Elegance.

Prior to being selected for the ORMHOF board of directors, Gary served as the official appraiser for the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame.  In his off time, Gary and his wife Jan enjoy going to auto-related swap meets, off-road races, car auctions, and the desert.  The Haugleys also support veteran causes including Warfighter Made, a Southern California veteran-operated non-profit that provides adaptive motorsports and adrenaline therapy for America's veterans, especially disabled veterans.  "It humbles me to give back to these veterans who give so much," says Gary.  Gary helps veterans with their vehicle builds, modifications, and restorations. "It humbles me to give back to these veterans who give so much," says Gary

RICH KLEIN

"Big Rich" is a magazine publisher, podcaster, and pioneering rock sports event promoter.  He has traveled across the US and around the world promoting rock sports, including CalRocs, VORRA, Dirt Riot, and W.E. Rock.  He is currently the publisher of 4Low Magazine, a print magazine for the four-wheel drive enthusiast, and the voice of Conversations with Big Rich, a successful podcast celebrating the off-road lifestyle, with more than 150 episodes to date.

In 2002 Rich developed the Rubicon Trail Patrol, a group of enthusiasts with the goal to educate and enforce the ideals and concepts of Tread Lightly! on the popular Rubicon Trail in California's Sierra Nevada mountains.  The Trail Patrol concept was in response to a state-mandated closure of parts of the Rubicon Trail. The group eventually became part of the Friends of the Rubicon organization and is now part of the Rubicon Trail Foundation.

Rich started promoting rock sports events with CalRocs in 2001, transitioning to W.E. Rock in 2006. W.E. Rock is an international rock crawling series with events across the nation and around the world. That same year (2006) he hosted the World Championship Rock Crawl with teams from the US, Australia, Japan, South Africa, Mexico, and Canada. Rich also owned Valley Off-Road Racing Association from 2003-2006 and was a consultant and builder on many man-made rock crawling facilities around the nation.

As an event promoter, Rich was the first to implement many safety enhancements in the sport of rock crawling, including helmet requirements for spotters and judges, window nets for competition vehicles, and firesuits for drivers. He adjusted course design to include safety measures for both competitors and spectators.

In 2014 Rich launched a "Live With It" safety campaign to educate trail riders about the importance of using helmets and vehicle safety harnesses while on the trail.

Rich became publisher of 4Low Magazine in 2017, and launched his podcast, Conversations with Big Rich, in April of 2020.  Conversations with Big Rich is an Interview style podcast, featuring guests involved in the off-road industry, who believe that being involved is a lifestyle not just a job. To date, Rich has interviewed more than 160 past, present, and future legends, business owners, employees, media, and land use warriors. He interviews men and women who have found their way into this exciting and addictive lifestyle we call off-road. Guests share their personal histories, struggles, successes, and reboots. They dive into what drives them to stay active in off-road, and shed some light on how to find a path into this world we live and love that we call off-road.

One of Rich's goals as a Hall of Fame board member is to interview every living ORMHOF inductee to preserve their legacy.  He will also be interviewing family and friends of ORMHOF legacy inductees to capture those memories as well.  As the ORMHOF interviews are completed, they are released as Conversations with Big Rich episodes and embedded on the inductees' pages on the ORMHOF website. 

Conversations with Big Rich podcasts are available on most major streaming services.

OFF-ROAD MOTORSPORTS HALL OF FAME

The mission of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame is to inspire present and future generations of the off-road community by recognizing and honoring the innovators, explorers, advocates, and champions whose lifelong achievements have contributed to the heritage of off-road. 

ORMHOF is funded by members and partners in the off-road community. To join, partner, or donate, please see the Quick Links.

QUICK LINKS

Support ORMHOF - Join, Partner, or Donate

Gary Haugley, Classic Auto Appraiser

Conversations with Big Rich