By Ben Deatherage
KAMRAR, Iowa (Apr. 28, 2025) — Some race for trophies. Some race for adrenaline. Ryan Roath will be racing for something more this summer—a tribute to the U.S. Coast Guard, the branch that brought closure to his family after tragedy struck in 2018.
That year, Roath’s life changed forever when his mother, Sandi Rader, was lost at sea while sailing her 53-foot ketch sailboat YachtCruz. She had acquired the boat in Florida and spent years cruising through the Caribbean and Panama. After the birth of her first granddaughter Parker, Sandi set sail for port in Chula Vista, California before getting to Arizona to meet her. But on January 7, 2018, she encountered a severe storm about 50 miles south of Ensenada, Mexico.
The Mexican Navy received the initial distress signal and conducted a search without success. They then contacted the U.S. Coast Guard, who launched a 3,200-nautical mile search over several days. Eventually, they located the remains of his mother, bringing a measure of closure to an unthinkable loss.
“I was sitting at work when the Coast Guard called about the distress signal,” Roath said. “That led to going to their base in L.A. and finding out they’d recovered my mom. She had floated up on shore. Her boyfriend was found a half mile out in the ocean.”
The recovery was only possible because of the efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard—something Roath never forgot.
This year, Roath will pilot a Coast Guard-themed Stock Car as part of the Salute to Veterans Tour—carrying his mother’s memory on every lap. He was also voted in as the People’s Choice in the Class of 2025.
“When Jason Becker called, he told me so many people had brought my name to the table—even competitors,” said Roath. “I lost my mom in that horrific accident, and the Coast Guard helped bring her home. To be selected and to carry their name, it touches home. It’s emotional. It’s an honor.”
From Spokane to the Southwest
Roath grew up in the Spokane, Washington area before his family relocated to Phoenix in 1995.
“My mom had a job offer in either Lake Tahoe or Phoenix,” he said. “She let us kids decide. Our grandparents wintered in Arizona, so that’s where we chose.”
He’d remain in Arizona for nearly three decades—graduating from Phoenix College where he excelled on the football field and eventually launching a short but intense MMA career as the “Raging Rhino.”
Roath also excelled in wrestling and represented the All-Arizona team at major Greco-Roman and freestyle tournaments in Reno and Fargo, having a solid high school wrestling career winning over 100 matches.
Built to Battle—On and Off Track
Roath’s racing career began in the early 2000s at Manzanita Speedway in the local Stock Car scene. He eventually moved into the IMCA Modifieds and then back into the IMCA Stock Cars.
“My football number was 50, but when that wasn’t available—and neither was the #14 of my racing hero—I picked 45, which was close to the number my best friend’s dad ran (46).”
Since then, Roath has captured track championships at Canyon Speedway Park, Prescott Valley Speedway, and Arizona Speedway. In 2024, he claimed the Arizona IMCA Tour title in the Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars.
“I had the opportunity to trade my Modified for a Stock Car,” he said. “We were fast right out of the box at the Winter Nationals—the last year it was at Cocopah—and podiumed in some of our first races.”
His wife Heather has been deeply involved in the sport as well—a longtime scorer in Arizona and a familiar face at the IMCA.TV Winter Nationals. Their son Chase is carrying the legacy forward in his rookie season in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact division back in Arizona.
Settling Into the Midwest
“We were out here in September and found this house,” Roath recalled. “But we couldn’t get our house sold in Arizona and were worried we’d lose it. In the end, everything worked out, and we moved just in time for a nice January blizzard.”
That home sits just outside Webster City in Kamrar, not far from the town of Jewell—home to IMCA official Grant Oskvig.
“Grant’s become family to us over the years,” Roath said. “That’s one of the reasons why we relocated where we did. We’re just down the road from him.”
The move would mark more than a change of scenery. For Roath and his family, it was a step into a slower pace of life and a fresh start rooted in racing culture.
“One of our neighbors gave our daughter a calf for 4-H,” Roath said. “That’s something we never would’ve experienced in Arizona. It’s been an eye-opener for all of us and shows just how welcoming and tight knit everyone is here.”
Now living in Kamrar, Roath says his daughter is thriving in school and enjoying new opportunities that come with small-town life.
“We love it here,” he said. “The community is great.”
The agricultural community, friendly neighbors, and open landscapes have brought something new and refreshing to the whole family, and enjoying new opportunities that come with small-town life.
With Heather by his side and a full schedule planned, Roath is ready to explore every corner of Iowa dirt in 2025.
“You live life once and you live it to the fullest,” he added. “That’s something my mom taught me.”
He may have traded the desert heat for Midwest winds, but the fire in Ryan Roath burns just the same.
And come July, with the Coast Guard colors wrapped around the #45, he’ll be racing with more than horsepower on his side—he’ll be racing with heart.
The 2025 Salute to Veterans Tour is a three-race miniseries in Iowa, beginning July 23 at Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer, followed by Kossuth County Speedway in Algona on July 24, and concluding at Boone Speedway on July 26. All three nights will stream live exclusively on IMCA TV.