Malcolm Smith is a legendary figure in off-road racing, known for his remarkable achievements on two and four wheels. Between 1966 and 1976, he won eight gold medals in the International Six Day Trial and six Baja 1000 titles—three times on a motorcycle and three times in a car. In 1967, he and teammate J.N. Roberts shared first place on a bike in the inaugural NORRA Mexican 1000. Smith died on November 26, 2024, at 83 years old, after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. In September 2020, I was lucky to sit down with him at his home, where I recorded this conversation. He was part of the inaugural class of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame and has been featured in the film On Any Sunday alongside Steve McQueen. Despite his fame, he remained humble and actively supported the El Oasis Orphanage in Baja Norte through his Malcolm Smith Motorsports Foundation, which provides full tuition for university or trade schools to the children there. During our conversation, he fought valiantly to find and form the words to answer my questions. After we wrapped, Smith apologized for his performance. He is a relentless competitor, always striving to do his best. Before I left, I followed him up his long driveway in 110-degree heat. He wanted to show me a couple of old Land Rovers that he had stashed in his orchard. I had to hustle to keep up! Learn more about Malcolm Smith: http://www.malcolmsmithmotorsportsfoundation.org/ https://www.malcolmsmithadventures.com https://ormhof.org/malcolm-smith SUPPORT THE SLOW BAJA PODCAST: https://buymeacoffee.com/slowbaja BUY SLOW BAJA MERCHANDISE: https://www.slowbaja.com/shop FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM: @slowbaja Subscribe to the Slow Baja YouTube channel: / @slowbaja
