AMSOIL: Scott Douglas Inducted into Off-Road Hall of Fame

Hallin’ Dirt

Scott Douglas’ family belonged to a Jeep Club in California in the early 1970s. Riding in the back seat ingrained an early love for the excitement of off-roading and the importance of taking care of public lands.

In the mid-1970s, Scott began racing motorcycles at Riverside International Raceway. He transitioned from two wheels to four in 1980, after buying an old Ford F-150 truck off a used car lot with his brother. Together, they prepped it for Class 8 and entered the infamous Baja 500, finishing fifth in class.

Scott’s career got a major boost in 1990 when off-road legend Walker Evans hired Douglas to pilot a factory backed Jeep Cherokee. Scott brought home a class championship for Jeep and Walker Evans Racing, so Evans moved Douglas up to a Class 7 Dodge Dakota factory ride.

In the mid-1990s, Douglas was hired to drive the Herzog Dodge Ram PRO-2 pickup in the growing Short-Course Off-Road Drivers Association (SODA) series. Douglas immediately became a dominant force in SODA with podium finishes and short course wins.

Scott Douglas moved to PRO-4 in 1996, winning the championship for Rampage Racing two years in a row. He doubled down in 1997 by winning the coveted BorgWarner Manufacturer’s Challenge Cup at Crandon International Raceway. Scott won a second BorgWarner Cup in 2006.

In 2010, Scott missed the opening win at Crandon’s Spring Challenge Cup by less than two-tenths of a second. However, Scott took home the trophy as the inaugural winner of Crandon’s Fall Challenge race, the AMSOIL Cup.

Over a 40-year career, Scott Douglas successfully raced everything from stock classes to unlimited trucks, including trophy trucks and Short Course Pro-4s, before retiring in 2019 after the 50th Crandon World Championships.

Despite his racing success, Scott says the highlight of his career was listening to American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan share their stories during a 14-day Middle East Off-Road Champions tour in 2011. The troops signed pieces of vinyl that Scott used to cover the hood of his Pro-4 for a race in Charlotte, North Carolina.