Evelyn Tallman-Duceshi driving "Betsy" in the 1960s. Photo courtesy of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame.

The Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame (ORMHOF) has announced its Class of 2024 inductee Evelyn Tallman-Duceshi has passed away. She was 97 years old.

Tallman-Duceshi, affectionately known as "The Purple Lady of Pismo," was an off-road pioneer from the central coast of California. Her motorsports career began in the 1960s when she was often seen behind the wheel of her beloved "Betsy" dune vehicle and helping to grow the sport of dune buggy racing. In the 1970s, she co-founded the co-founded the California Off Road Vehicle Association (CORVA), an organization uniting the industry to advocate for the sport. She also served on the California Trails Advisory Committee to help preserve safe recreational spaces.  

Tallman-Duceshi was inducted into the ORMHOF in front of a record crowd at the 2024 Induction & Awards Gala in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

For more on Tallman-Duceshi and her illustrious career, read the ORMHOF article here.