The innovator who changed off-road, Bob Fox, enters Hall of Fame

By Melissa Coffey

This article originally appeared in the December issue of Powersports Business.

There are moments in this industry that remind us why we do what we do — moments that strip away the daily grind of sales targets, supply chain headaches, marketing plans, and the constant sprint toward the next model year. Moments that bring us back to the beating heart of powersports. For me, that moment came at this year’s Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame (ORMHOF) induction ceremony, where my family had the privilege of celebrating a legend — Bob Fox.

If you’ve spent any amount of time in off-road, you already know the name. Fox isn’t just a brand; it’s a benchmark of performance so deeply embedded in our industry that it’s woven into the way we talk about suspension. But sitting in that room, surrounded by the other amazing inductees, pioneers, racers, builders, dreamers, and industry families who built this world long before it became a business, I realized just how much more there is behind the iconic names.

For my family, the honor was personal. Bob Fox is not just a visionary — we consider him part of our story, as most of my siblings and I worked at Fox Factory during our childhood and into our long-term careers. To witness him walk onto that ORMHOF stage, finally receiving recognition that was decades overdue, was emotional in a way I didn’t expect. It wasn’t just his induction; it was an induction of everything he stood for: relentless curiosity, unapologetic innovation, humility, and a lifelong dedication to making machines — and the people who drive them — better.

As I listened to the stories shared, I couldn’t help but think about how many of us in this industry owe part of our careers to the people like Bob who came before. People who weren’t afraid to break something in the name of making it better. People who spent late nights in garages before there were CAD models or data acquisition systems. People who were guided not by market share, but by their passion and a pure pursuit of performance.

And as much as the ceremony honored these legends, it also reminded me how interconnected this industry truly is. It’s a world started and built by families, and sitting with mine that night — watching Bob accept his place among off-road’s greatest contributors — brought a rush of memories from my own early days at Fox, working alongside people who shaped my path both personally and professionally and which eventually launched my marketing career.

As those memories surfaced, I found myself even more attuned to the emotion filling the room. One by one, the inductees shared stories of sacrifice, grit, loss, breakthroughs, and the people who stood beside them through it all. There wasn’t a dry eye in the audience—several times.

The speeches weren’t just reflections on careers; they were love letters to the people and moments that shaped them. You could feel decades of passion and perseverance echoing through every word. And in that moment, it was impossible not to feel the weight of what this industry truly represents: heart, heritage, and a community bound together by more than the machines we build or the races we win. This wasn’t just nostalgia — it was clarity. A reminder that powersports isn’t just something we work in. It’s something we belong to.

The ORMHOF ceremony is unique in that way. Yes, it’s a celebration of elite accomplishments, but it’s also a gathering of people who understand the sacrifices behind every win and the journey behind every breakthrough.

From the engineers who rethought the physics of suspension, to the riders who pushed machines — and their bodies — to the edge, to the business owners and dealers who kept the sport alive through downturns, booms, and everything in between. When you’re in that room, you’re not thinking about quarterly numbers. You’re thinking about legacy.

And that’s what struck me most: how important legacy is to the future of this industry.

Planning your legacy

For dealers reading this, especially as we enter the final stretch of the year, it’s easy to get caught in the operational weeds. Inventory pressure, holiday promotions, end-of-year closeout strategies — December is always a whirlwind. But I challenge you to take moments like these and let them recenter you. Ask yourself:

• What is the legacy you are building for your business, your customers, and your community?
• What stories will represent your dealership years from now?
• Which relationships, innovations, and acts of service will outlive the monthly numbers?

The brands and dealerships that endure — the ones that become generational names — are those grounded in something deeper than transactions. They are built by owners and teams who are driven by passion, built by families who show up not just for the business but for the people in it, and built on the belief that powersports changes lives.

Bob Fox embodies that spirit. His induction wasn’t just a celebration of the past; it was a reminder of what the future of this sport must continue to be: bold, innovative, family-rooted, and community-driven.

Walking out of that ballroom, I felt more committed than ever to the work we do as leaders, marketers, dealers, and storytellers in this industry. Moments like this remind us that our job isn’t simply to sell machines. It’s to foster a lifestyle, elevate a community, and preserve the legacy of those who built the path we ride on today.

Congratulations again to Bob Fox — an icon whose influence will continue shaping off-road for generations. And thank you to the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame for giving our industry a place where legacies live on.

As we close out the year, let’s take inspiration from the legends among us and recommit to building something worthy of being remembered.

Till next time, shiny side up and checkered flags!