Dr. Raymond F. Rossi, MD, the Medical Director for MotoAmerica since its start, died from hypovolemic shock related to Lupus March 22 in Englewood, Colorado. He was 67.
He is survived by wife Lori Smith, and daughter Shelby Ray Rossi.
Rossi worked as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for nearly 13 years while he attended the University of Colorado – Denver, where he obtained a degree in Biology, and the University of Colorado School of Medicine, from where he graduated in 1990.
Rossi operated a medical practice in the Denver area with a specialty of General Internal Medicine, but he also used his medical expertise to support competitive sports.
He provided medical care for the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo for 19 years, he served as FIM Chief Medical Officer for several World Superbike and MotoGP rounds held in America, he was at times the Medical Director for Pikes Peak International Raceway and Miller Motorsports Park, and he started working with MotoAmerica in 2015.
In his role with MotoAmerica, Dr. Rossi provided specialized training, like proper helmet removal, to local first responders and instituted a concussion protocol and testing to deal with rider’s who suffered head injuries, among many other regular duties.
Rossi also enjoyed competing in several different disciplines of motorcycle racing, including road racing, when he was younger.
We will post information about any memorial services when it becomes available.
More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:
MotoAmerica Medical Director Dr. Raymond Rossi Passes
Popular Paddock Figure Passes At The Age Of 67
IRVINE, CA (March 23, 2022) – MotoAmerica’s Medical Director since the series inception in 2015, Dr. Raymond Rossi, passed away on Tuesday, March 22 in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Rossi was 67 years old.
A longtime fixture in the paddock, Rossi was a familiar face when MotoAmerica riders were injured or needed basic medical care while at the racetrack. In addition to helping MotoAmerica’s racers, Rossi was also an FIM accredited medical officer and served as FIM Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for FIM World Superbike and MotoGP events when those series came to the U.S.
Rossi earned his Doctor of Medicine (MD) at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and did his sports medicine rotations at another racer’s practice, Gem City Bone and Joint, which was owned and operated by the late Dr. David Kieffer.
Prior to working in what was his first love, motorcycle racing, Rossi had his own practice in Colorado. He also served as medical director at Pikes Peak International Raceway and Miller Motorsports Park and worked as a physician for the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo, where he cared for rodeo athletes.
“I have been committed to motorcycle medical care for over 20 years,” said Rossi in a MotoAmerica press release introducing him as its medical director. “It is a privilege to be given an opportunity to serve this very noble group of athletes. It will be my goal to bring the highest level of medical care to the MotoAmerica riders, both trackside and in the paddock. I am grateful to be a part of a new direction for American road racing led by KRAVE, and I applaud their vision.”
“It was essential for us to have a medical director when we started MotoAmerica and Dr. Rossi was the perfect choice,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “He served our series well, giving our racers a doctor they knew and trusted. His passing saddens us, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”
Rossi is survived by his wife, Loris Smith, of Greenwood Village, Colorado; and daughter, Shelby Ray Rossi, of Laguna Beach, California.