Inducted February 10, 1986

Roger Mears was once known as "one of the other guys" in the Mears gang, when his brother Rick burst into stardom by winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1979. But Roger, Rick's older brother, was quietly building his own staircase to stardom in diverse types of auto racing. The result is that the Bob Elias Hall of Fame has its first brother combination, Roger joining Rick, who was inducted in 1980. The timing of this recognition for Mears is extremely appropriate, coming as it does on the heels of his recent selection to the Skoal All-American Racing Team, the first time an off-road racer has been so honored. Mears is among the premier off-road racers in the country, with a long trail of successes in that grueling competition on the demanding desert circuit - California, Nevada, Arizona and Baja California. He has won the Pikes Peak Hill Climb amend a variety of events in equipment ranging from go-karts, motorcycles and den buggies to mini-trucks, large trucks, stock cars and Indy-type racing marchioness.