The off-road industry is built on relationships, hard work, and people who genuinely live the lifestyle. At PRI 2024 in Indianapolis, Adam sat down with Scott Goforth of Goforth Tire to talk about the history of off-roading, sticky tires, racing, and how one of the most recognized names in off-road tires came to be.
For many people in the rock bouncing and Ultra4 world, “Goforth Tire” has become almost synonymous with sticky tires. But behind that name is decades of hard work, long nights, family involvement, and a true passion for off-road racing and wheeling.
Growing Up in the Tire Business
Scott’s story started long before sticky tires and race buggies. His father originally worked for the post office delivering mail in Knoxville before slowly building a tire business on the side. Eventually, he made the leap into running the tire shop full-time back in the 1970s. Scott literally grew up inside the shop changing tires, working on dirt bikes, mounting wheels, installing lift kits, and learning the business from the ground up. Long before social media existed, Goforth Tire was already building a reputation in East Tennessee.
The Early Days of Off-Road Tires
Back in the late ‘80s and ‘90s, seeing a truck on 44” tires rolling down the road was a huge deal. Scott talks about growing up around:
- Monster Mudders
- Super Swampers
- lifted Toyotas
- mud trucks
- and the early off-road scene around Tellico and East Tennessee.
As off-roading evolved, Goforth Tire evolved with it. What started as a traditional tire shop slowly became one of the largest sticky tire suppliers in the country.
Enter Rock Bouncing & Racing
As competitive rock bouncing started gaining momentum through events like Southern Rock Racing, Pro Rock, NRRS, and King of the Hammers. Scott found himself heavily involved in the racing scene. From supplying sticky tires to racers across the country to eventually racing his own buggy, Goforth Tire became deeply connected to the sport’s growth. Scott even talks about:
- racing at King of the Hammers
- winning the Shootout at Chocolate Thunder
- building the famous “Rum Runner”
- and working alongside builders like CSC Fab and Wide Open Design.
More Than Just Tires
One of the biggest takeaways from this interview is that Goforth Tire isn’t just a tire dealer.
It’s a family-run business built around:
- customer relationships
- supporting racers
- helping local shops
- and staying involved in the off-road community
Scott explains how they:
- mount and balance hundreds of tires daily
- support racers nationwide
- work directly with Vision Wheel
- and continue helping off-roaders from trail rigs to full race cars.
The conversation also dives into the realities of running a business, balancing family life, handling growth, and surviving in the off-road industry long-term. If you’ve ever bought a sticky tire, raced a rock bouncer, or spent time around the East Tennessee off-road scene, chances are you’ve crossed paths with Goforth Tire somewhere along the way. And after hearing Scott’s story, it’s easy to understand why.
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