Larry Rice was one of USAC’s finest ambassadors, claiming National Championships in the Silver Crown (1977 and 1981) and Midget series (1973). A 1993 inductee into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame, Larry won 15 USAC Midget races in addition to five Silver Crown and three Sprint features. He passed away in 2009 after a bout of cancer. After a stint as a schoolteacher, he worked his way to the pinnacle of auto racing and in 1978 shared the Indianapolis 500 “Rookie of the Race” honors with Rick Mears after his 11th-place finish. He eventually became the color analyst for ESPN’s Saturday Night Thunder program which featured USAC racing events. He also worked for K & K Insurance, specializing in motorsports insurance. His major victories included wins in the “4-Crown Nationals” at Rossburg, Ohio, the Hut Hundred Midget race at Terre Haute, Ind. and the 1981 Hoosier Hundred Silver Crown race at Indianapolis.