The man, the myth, the legend. We are honored to share the journey of our local spotlight, RJ Laffins

The wheels keep turning

After RJ Laffins had become an established and winning (17 victories) Pure Stock race car winner at Silver Dollar Speedway (SDS), he was knocked out of a race one night by a rookie driver. As is the “custom” in the world of racing, the other drivers and pit crew expected RJ to confront the rookie after the race.

RJ waited for the driver, Travis Moore, to exit his vehicle in the pits. Everyone expected a butt kicking. According to Travis, “I knew I’d screwed up, knocking a pro out of a race. RJ came up to me, and all I could think is This guy is big and mad, and I’m in trouble!”

“RJ strides up and orders, ‘You and me behind the trucks!’ So, we went to the trucks where no one could see us, and RJ said, ‘Everyone in the pit thinks I’m going to kick your butt. But first, I have one question, did you mean to hit me?’” RJ responded, “Well, if it was a mistake, no problem. We all make mistakes.” With that, he walked back out to the audience, and said, “That’s it, folks. We’re done here.”

Said Moore, “I learned a lesson and learned about the character of RJ Laffins.”

A man with character. That sums up a large part of who RJ Laffins is. Along with a friendly disposition, drive, determination and a never-give-up attitude, you have the picture of Ronald Laffins. These are traits being put to the test in RJ’s life today.

A native of Chico, RJ attended Hooker Oak, Chico Junior and Senior High, Butte College, and San Jose State. While in college at San Jose, RJ began a vinyl DJ career that has lasted to this day. He began by working at clubs a few hours a week—Farah’s in San Jose and Catz and Papagayo in Fresno. After returning to Chico, he was club DJ at Graduate and 3rd & Up. To this day, he specializes in ‘70’s - ‘80’s dance, funk, R&B, Along the way, RJ decided to take up bicycle racing. Like auto racing, he won many awards and races. He rides street and mountain and continues 12-to-20 mile rides three-to-four days a week. A sidebar is the multiple concussions and road rash injuries he’s endured over the course of his riding career. Tough as those injuries can be, none prepared him for the news he received in March of 2020.

It began when RJ noticed a slight slurring of his speech. His wife, Brandi, an integral and tremendously important part of his life, had heard the slurring a few times, but she wrote it off to RJ’s hectic schedule and racing. Soon, they both noticed the speech problems increasing. So, off to the doctor it was.

Many illnesses can cause distorted speech, and RJ endured a series of tests and evaluations. However, the problem with RJ has no easy diagnosis as there is no test. It comes down to a process of elimination. The final answer was devastating: RJ had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - ALS. Specifically ALS Bulbar, a condition affecting the corticobulbar area that controls muscles of the face, head, and neck. The most common symptoms are changes in speech and voice. There is no cure.

ALS bulbar affects 30% of those with ALS. Currently, RJ’s speech is the prominent manifestation. He is on a regimen of medications and takes an IV cocktail for 14 days on and 14 off. An additional issue is waiting for new medications to clear the hurdle of the FDA. There are a few, and a prominent one is AMX0035, a medication proven to increase the life expectancy of a person, but cannot provide a cure. “The waiting is one of the hardest aspects,” said Brandi. “We’re waiting for AMX to clear the final clinical trial. All we can do is wait and hope.”

For now, RJ remains quite active. He can ride his bike and DJ. If you want to see him live, head out on Thursdays from 5 to 8 pm at the Golden Beaver Distillery off Browns Valley Drive near the airport and witness RJ the DJ. It’s a great show.