Rider, safety pioneer

Former Marine James Nelson “J.N.” Roberts was a top motorcycle desert racer in the 1960s and ‘70s. He won the famous Barstow-to-Vegas race four years in a row, the Mint 400 three times and the Baja 500 and Baja 1000 twice each, including the inaugural 1967 event. Roberts was one of the first to race lighter, single-cylinder two-stroke bikes. He represented Team USA in the International Six Days Trial in 1971 and ‘72. At one point, Roberts won 27 consecutive desert races, earning the unofficial title of “King of the Desert.” Roberts was featured in the iconic motorcycling documentary, “On Any Sunday” in 1971 and 2005’s “Dust to Glory.” When he wasn’t racing, he worked as a stuntman, often with Hal Needham. Roberts pioneered much of today’s off-road safety equipment, including shoulder pads, and shin and face guards, all of which he borrowed from other sports. He was inducted into the Hollywood Stuntmen’s Hall of Fame, AMA Hall of Fame (1999) and the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame (2009).