History[edit]

In 1966, Ed Pearlman co-founded the first exclusively off-road racing organization, called the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA). The first event by NORRA (1967) was called the Mexican 1000 Rally, which was later renamed the Baja 1000.


Pearlman stopped promoting the series in 1976, so he decided to recognize contributors to the sport. He inducted the first sixteen members in the hall of fame in January 1978. He inducted a second group in 1980. He was unable to come up with a site to host the hall of fame.


Pearlman sold the series in 1995 to Rod Hall. While looking through Pearlman's boxes, Hall noticed Pearlman's notes about the hall of fame. Hall talked with Gordon Horsley of the National Automobile Museum, and the Hall of Fame became a resident in the National Automobile Museum.