cycle.news
CAMPBEL_D
TEAM HISTORY: IN IT FOR THE LONG RUN
The Baja peninsula of Mexico plays a crucial part in Honda's off-road racing history. Honda's first foray into off-road racing in this rugged, desolate land came in 1962, when Dave Ekins made history with the first official run between Tijuana and La Paz at a time when no paved road existed there. He covered nearly 1000 miles in 39 hours, 56 minutes on a Honda CL72, a 250cc four-stroke twin that was essentially a street bike with upswept pipes. Despite getting lost and crashing many times (13 incidents during the dark and lonely night), Ekins made it to La Paz. Thus began what would become one of the greatest racing traditions of the 20th century: the Baja 1000.
Today, Johnny Campbell and the Honda Off-Road Team can cover the distance in less than 16 hours, substantially faster than Ekins' original time. Constantly improving motorcycle design helps handle the terrain better, but the grueling, often unpredictable topography and increased speeds ensure the rider's job is no easier. There have been races when only 30 percent of the entries make it to the checkered flag, the remainder of the field victims of the cruel, unforgiving conditions that have helped make the Baja 1000 the most prestigious off-road race in the world.
Six years after Ekins first tamed Baja, Larry Berquist and Gary Griffen teamed to win the second 1000 race on a Honda CL77 Scrambler 305. Then in 1975, Al Baker and Gene Cannady rode an XL350 to an unprecedented overall win, beating even the previously dominant, highly modified automobiles. These men and their machines were the pioneers of off-road racing, laying a foundation for Honda's legacy and the four-stroke XR motorcycles that are now a mainstay of desert-racing competition.
Honda's dominance continued throughout most of the 1980s. Baker captured his second victory at the 1000 in 1982 on an XR500R, followed by four consecutive wins from '84 to '87 by current Team Coordinator Bruce Ogilvie, Chuck Miller and Randy Morales, all of whom have won two races each for the Honda squad.
After dominating throughout most of the '80s, the Red Riders opted not to compete in 1988 and 1989. Honda returned to the fray as the '90s got underway. A Campbell-led team finished a mere 12 minutes behind the winner in '92 and eight minutes down in '95. They were runner-up in three races, but victory narrowly eluded the team until Johnny Campbell, Greg Bringle and Tim Staab won in '97.
Campbell paired with Jimmy Lewis and repeated in '98, laying waste to the competition by winning overall and finishing almost an hour ahead of the next motorcycle. In '99, Campbell and Staab gave the just-introduced XR650R a dream debut by winning what many felt was the toughest Baja 1000 ever, earning Campbell his third consecutive victory and Staab's second in three years.
Honda is the only motorcycle manufacturer to win the Baja 1000 overall with a four-stroke engine, and the new XR650R is sure to extend the XR600R's record as the winningest four-stroke off-road machine in existence. Campbell and company look forward to 2000, with 2000-mile tests of skill and endurance in both Baja and Nevada, plus other long-distance races where they're sure to shine.
CAMPBEL_D
TEAM HISTORY: IN IT FOR THE LONG RUN
The Baja peninsula of Mexico plays a crucial part in Honda's off-road racing history. Honda's first foray into off-road racing in this rugged, desolate land came in 1962, when Dave Ekins made history with the first official run between Tijuana and La Paz at a time when no paved road existed there. He covered nearly 1000 miles in 39 hours, 56 minutes on a Honda CL72, a 250cc four-stroke twin that was essentially a street bike with upswept pipes. Despite getting lost and crashing many times (13 incidents during the dark and lonely night), Ekins made it to La Paz. Thus began what would become one of the greatest racing traditions of the 20th century: the Baja 1000.
Today, Johnny Campbell and the Honda Off-Road Team can cover the distance in less than 16 hours, substantially faster than Ekins' original time. Constantly improving motorcycle design helps handle the terrain better, but the grueling, often unpredictable topography and increased speeds ensure the rider's job is no easier. There have been races when only 30 percent of the entries make it to the checkered flag, the remainder of the field victims of the cruel, unforgiving conditions that have helped make the Baja 1000 the most prestigious off-road race in the world.
Six years after Ekins first tamed Baja, Larry Berquist and Gary Griffen teamed to win the second 1000 race on a Honda CL77 Scrambler 305. Then in 1975, Al Baker and Gene Cannady rode an XL350 to an unprecedented overall win, beating even the previously dominant, highly modified automobiles. These men and their machines were the pioneers of off-road racing, laying a foundation for Honda's legacy and the four-stroke XR motorcycles that are now a mainstay of desert-racing competition.
Honda's dominance continued throughout most of the 1980s. Baker captured his second victory at the 1000 in 1982 on an XR500R, followed by four consecutive wins from '84 to '87 by current Team Coordinator Bruce Ogilvie, Chuck Miller and Randy Morales, all of whom have won two races each for the Honda squad.
After dominating throughout most of the '80s, the Red Riders opted not to compete in 1988 and 1989. Honda returned to the fray as the '90s got underway. A Campbell-led team finished a mere 12 minutes behind the winner in '92 and eight minutes down in '95. They were runner-up in three races, but victory narrowly eluded the team until Johnny Campbell, Greg Bringle and Tim Staab won in '97.
Campbell paired with Jimmy Lewis and repeated in '98, laying waste to the competition by winning overall and finishing almost an hour ahead of the next motorcycle. In '99, Campbell and Staab gave the just-introduced XR650R a dream debut by winning what many felt was the toughest Baja 1000 ever, earning Campbell his third consecutive victory and Staab's second in three years.
Honda is the only motorcycle manufacturer to win the Baja 1000 overall with a four-stroke engine, and the new XR650R is sure to extend the XR600R's record as the winningest four-stroke off-road machine in existence. Campbell and company look forward to 2000, with 2000-mile tests of skill and endurance in both Baja and Nevada, plus other long-distance races where they're sure to shine.