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PROFILE: JOHNNY CAMPBELL
Johnny Campbell has taken his place among the greatest names in off-road racing. With two Baja 500 wins in the last three years and three consecutive Baja 1000 victories, Campbell's accomplishments in the desert are legendary. With an uncanny ability to ride across the most unforgiving terrain in the world at speeds upward of 100 mph, he has set a new standard in desert racing.
You would never know it to talk to him. Quiet, humble, friendly, Johnny Campbell's quick smile and easy-going manner belie the intensity of his craft. Look to his past, and you find the quiet devotion that brought him to the top of the sport.
Along with his wife Faye and new son Preston, Campbell still lives close to where he grew up in the California seaside town of San Clemente. While most of the other kids his age surfed on weekends, the Campbell clan headed to the desert to ride dirt bikes. Johnny began riding 20 years ago at the age of 9, and by 13 he began racing in local Grands Prix for fun, guided by his father. In '87, Johnny's father passed away, but his mother saw that racing was a healthy outlet for a young man, and continued to drive him to the races practically every weekend.
As he gained experience, Campbell gained speed. He entered his first professional off-road race in 1990 at the SCORE San Felipe 250. Incredibly, he finished seventh overall and realized top-level desert racing was his calling. The lure? Simple, he answers: "You get to ride a long time, hours rather than minutes. Plus the speed and adventure of being out there."
Like the races he rides, Campbell's win record is lengthy. He first grabbed widespread attention when his team finished second overall in the 1992 Baja 1000. He broke into the big-win column in 1995 by leading a six-man team to a new 24-hour off-road world distance record of 1140 miles. He followed that up with a solo performance that brought him international recognition, winning the grueling 2000-mile Nevada Rally against a field of the best off-road rally riders in the world. Later, he won the Four-stroke Pro class championship in the Best in the Desert's Silver State Series and claimed second-overall again at the Baja 1000.
After nursing a badly broken ankle at the beginning of 1997, Campbell pulled off wins in the two most grueling events in North America: the Baja 500 and the Baja 1000. He also tried his hand at enduros for the first time, qualifying for the United States team competing in the International Six Days Enduro--held that year in Northern Italy--and returned home with a silver medal.
No injuries hampered the start of his 1998 season, and his results showed it. He won SCORE's triple crown--the San Felipe 250, Baja 500 and Baja 1000--to earn both the Class 22 (Open motorcycle) and overall championships. He elevated his reputation for toughness to iron-man status by winning the Silver State 300 riding solo against a field of two-man teams.
In 1999, Campbell enjoyed another stellar season, winning San Felipe again, then breaking the distance record for the second time, his team rolling to an astounding 1362 miles in 24 hours. An uncharacteristic crash meant he had to settle for second in the Baja 500 after leading most of the race.
After racing his entire professional career on Honda XR600Rs, Campbell--and teammate Jimmy Lewis--raced Honda's new liquid-cooled, aluminum-frame XR650R in the 531-mile Vegas to Reno event just weeks after the Baja 500. They had only one full day to test, and raced the new XR in nearly stock condition. The team turned heads by leading much of the event, but a crash by his teammate held them to second place. Said Campbell after the event, "The new XR650R did exactly what it was supposed to do. It was plenty fast to win the race in showroom condition. Once we get more time on the bike, those guys better watch out."
It didn't take long for Campbell's prophetic words to ring true. For the Baja 1000, Campbell and teammate Tim Staab had ample time to ride and test the new XR650R. Again running a near-stock bike, Campbell snatched his third consecutive victory in the Baja 1000, winning the event overall ahead of the 600-plus-horsepower, multi-million-dollar trucks. In the process, Campbell wrapped up another SCORE championship.
For 2000 Campbell has his eye on winning both Baja events again, and this year will be tougher than ever, as the Baja 1000 will be stretched to 2000 miles. A second 2000-mile event in Nevada is also in Johnny's sights. "I hired a trainer toward the end of 1999, and I'm on a five-phase training program, building toward the Nevada 2000 in order to win that event, to make sure my body's prepared," Campbell says. "I know the new XR650R is up to the task. We added about 10 horsepower over winter testing. We have so much more power that I have to get used to the speeds--coming into corners faster, braking harder. I've been used to kind of guiding the old XR600R rather than riding it as aggressively as the XR650R can be ridden. It's taking some time for me to get comfortable on the new bike. I feel like I've just started."
Just started? With a Baja win already in the books on the new XR650R, you have to wonder how fast Campbell can go when he gets "comfortable." And you can bet the competition is wondering the same thing.
STATISTICS: JOHNNY CAMPBELL
1999
• 1st overall Baja 1000
• 1st overall,world record (1362 miles) 24-Hour Off-Road World Endurance Championship
• 1st overall San Felipe 250
• Overall SCORE Motorcycle Champion
• 2nd overall Baja 500
• 2nd overall Vegas to Reno
• 2nd overall Terrible's Town 250
• SCORE Class 22 Champion
• Best in the Desert Silver State Series 3rd Open Pro
• 24-Hour Glen Helen Champion
1998
• 1st overall Baja 1000
• 1st overall Baja 500
• 1st overall San Felipe 250
• 1st overall Silver State 300
• 2nd overall Terrible's Town 250
• SCORE Class 22 Champion and SCORE overall champion
• Best in the Desert Silver State Series 2nd Open Pro
1997
• 1st overall Baja 1000
• 1st overall Baja 500
• Silver medal Italy ISDE
• 3rd overall Vegas to Reno
• SCORE Class 22 Champion
1996
• Four-stroke Champion Adelanto GP
• 2nd overall Baja 1000
• 3rd overall Vegas to Reno
• 7th overall Baja 500
• AMA D-37 Best of the West Series Champion
• AMA D-37 Grand Prix Series Open Expert Champion
• AMA D-37 Grand Prix Series Four-stroke Expert Champion
• 2nd Four-stroke AMA National Hare & Hound Series
• 2nd overall AMA D-37 Desert Series
1995
• 1st overall Nevada Rally
• 1st overall, world record (1140 miles) 24-Hour Off-Road World Endurance Championship
• Best in the Desert Silver State Series Four-stroke Pro Champion
• 2nd Four-stroke AMA National Hare & Hound Series
• 2nd Class 22 SCORE Desert Championship Series
• AMA D-37 Enduro Series Four-stroke Champion
• AMA D-37 Grand Prix Series Open Champion
• 2nd Open Expert AMA D-37 Desert Series
1994
• 2nd overall, four-stroke class winner Nevada Rally
• 7th overall, fourth in class Baja 1000
1992
• 1st overall HDRA Nevada 500
• 1st Class 21 San Felipe 250
• 1st overall Rosarito Beach Grand Prix
• 2nd overall Baja 1000
STATISTICS: JOHNNY CAMPBELL
Born: February 11, 1971 Laguna Beach, California
Residence: San Clemente, California
Began riding: 1980, age 9
First race: 1984, age 13
Training: Mountain biking, trail riding
Heigh:t 6' 0"
Weight: 168 lb.
Marital status: Married (Faye; son, Preston)
Current race bike: Honda XR650R
Mechanic: Self
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THE TEAM BEHIND THE TEAM
No single rider or even team of riders can win a long-distance race such as the Baja 1000 without the help of an exceptional support crew. Naturally, the riders are the most visible and celebrated members of any effort, but the hard work and long hours put in by a devoted crew keep their racer moving toward the finish line. Johnny Campbell performs most of the work on his bike during the year, but once he gets to a big race, a host of talented technicians, mechanics and vital pit personnel support him and his teammates.
Bruce Ogilvie, Team Coordinator
If anyone knows what it takes to win races, Bruce Ogilvie does, because he's won his share. His father Don (who still rides) started Bruce off in the desert, and that's where he's amassed a win record unrivaled in the sport, including five Baja 500 wins, two Baja 1000 victories, Barstow to Vegas championships and countless other high-profile race wins. Ogilvie owns the distinction of being one of only two riders in history to win overall Baja races in three different decades. He's also earned several ISDE medals. Ogilvie's extensive experience makes him an invaluable team leader.
Pit Crew Members
Johnny Campbell and Tim Staab may have ridden Honda's new XR650R to victory in the 1999 Baja 1000, but they couldn't have done it without the pit and chase crew members--more than 100--to support them. A large supporting staff is as much a part of success at a long-distance race as the bike, and American Honda's pit crew is among the best. It includes company employees, family and friends, members of the Hilltoppers Motorcycle Club and the Honda Rider's Club of America.
Johnny Campbell's talent and drive have helped him win the tough Baja 1000 three times in a row, but the pit crew permitted him to focus on his job: racing and winning. Things are much tougher for the privateer racer who struggles simply to pay the entry fee and round up a few friends willing to provide pit support.
That's why American Honda offers its pit-support program to racers on Honda four-strokes at select off-road events. This service makes a first-rate factory pit crew available to all Honda four-stroke motorcycle and ATV teams, providing gasoline, refueling service, tire changes, radio communication, parts and general know-how. Having such a support crew at their disposal increases the chances of finishing in the money for privateers trying to break into the limelight with desert racing's elite.
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.
TEAM SPONSORS
Honda Rider's Club of America
The HRCA is one of the country's most prestigious motorcycle clubs, with more than 130,000 members and 200 chapters nationwide. Open to all owners of Honda motorcycles and ATVs, the HRCA offers one of the most comprehensive benefits packages in the industry, and is involved in more than 60 events annually. In addition to being a team sponsor, the HRCA also sponsors several high-performance riding schools--including Gary Bailey's motocross school, Danny Walker's dirt track school, Freddie Spencer's school and Reg Pridmore's CLASS school--where HRCA members get special tuition rates. Since its inception, the HRCA has supported Honda's off-road racing effort with staffing and pit crew support at longer races.
Pro Honda Oils and Chemicals
Honda's winning XR650R encounters some of the worst conditions imaginable during a race, so the team uses Pro Hondaª Oils and Chemicals to combat the extreme punishment meted out by the long, grueling events. Engine oils, chain lubricant, brake fluid and a full line of maintenance and service products are used by the team to keep the XR650R going from start to finish.
Dunlop
The exclusive tire sponsor of the Honda Off-Road Racing Team, Dunlop has built a remarkable reputation by winning championships in every form of motorcycle racing.
Answer Products The ProTaper aluminum handlebar on Johnny Campbell's XR650R is made by Answer Products. Due to varied wall thickness at various points, a ProTaper handlebar is light and strong, yet also flexes slightly to help reduce rider fatigue, an important benefit in long-distance events.
Acerbis
A longtime sponsor (since 1986, in fact), Acerbis supplies plastic handguards, fork protectors, bike stands and other items to the team. In addition, Acerbis also produces the ARS riding gear and casual apparel worn by Johnny Campbell and Jonah Street.
D.I.D
Now in its sixth year with the team and a recognized leader in chain technology, D.I.D supplies high-performance O-ring chains for the XR650R race bikes, as well as chains and rims for many of Honda's production machines.
IMS
Long-distance racing puts an emphasis on quick pit stops, and the dry-break refueling system pioneered by Honda ensures the large-capacity IMS fuel tanks are refilled in seconds. IMS fuel tanks, dry-break fittings and corresponding refueling containers can be purchased by anyone.
K&N
In addition to being a hostile environment for racers, the desert can be deadly to engines, especially if a fraction of the sand or silt encountered during a typical race were to make its way inside. K&N air filters employ a unique oiled pleated gauze element that is remarkably efficient, durable and consistent in its performance. K&N has been part of the Honda team for nearly 20 years.
Research Group 3 (RG3)
A former racer himself in his native New Zealand, Rob Henricksen of Research Group 3 has 17 years of experience working with racing motorcycle suspension systems. This is RG3's second year of helping Honda's Off-Road Team when it comes time to test and service the Kayaba suspension components on Johnny Campbell's XR650R. RG3 will accompany the team to select events. RG3 also offers its suspension services to the public.
Renthal
More world and national championships have been won with Renthal's premium-quality lightweight aluminum rear sprockets and durable steel countershaft sprockets than with any other chainwheels. The British company also provides the comfortable, long-lasting grips used by the team for the past four years.
Factory Effex
Graphics kits and decals from Factory Effex give the factory Honda off-road XRs their finished, striking appearance. Factory Effex is a second-year team sponsor and also provides graphics to several high-profile motocross teams, as well as everyday enthusiasts.
BRP
BRP provides upper triple-clamps that allow multiple handlebar location options for each individual on the team, as well as a number of aircraft-quality aluminum guards used on team bikes.
VP Racing Fuels
With engines put under enormous stress and strain for hours at a time, it's imperative the Honda Off-Road Team have plenty of consistent-quality fuel for its XR650Rs to help the motors achieve peak performance.VP Racing Fuels produces a wide variety of competition-quality fuels that meet the team's specifications, and they're also available to discerning enthusiasts.
Precision Concepts
Bob Bell of Precision Concepts provides bike preparation as well as suspension services for Honda's off-road team. This is Precision Concepts' third year as a team sponsor.
Kayaba
Kayaba manufactures stock suspension components for the XR650R, and provides technical assistance for the team.
THE 2000 SERIES
Honda has competed in desert racing in both the United States and Mexico for nearly 40 years. The team currently competes in a number of series, but without question the highlight of the 2000 season will be two new 2000-mile races: Best in the Desert's Nevada 2000 in July and SCORE's Baja 2000--replacing the 1000-mile event--in November.
Though equal in length, the two events are entirely different. The Nevada race will take place over six days, with teams of riders competing against each other. The Baja 2000 will pit teams of riders against each other and run continuously, day and night, from start to finish, a race that will see the winners cross the line 30 to 40 brutal hours after the start. While each race offers a number of classes based on engine displacement and rider age, the overall win is what garners the most recognition and most prestige. Naturally, the Honda team will be going for the big prize.
In addition to these two big races, the Honda Off-Road Team will focus efforts in 2000 on the Best in the Desert's five-race Silver State Series and the three Baja races comprising the SCORE/Laughlin Desert Series. They will also attend a host of regional events and National Hare and Hound races. In desert racing, there are basically two types of courses: loop and point-to-point. Entrants start and finish at the same location in a loop race, while a point-to-point event is exactly what it sounds like.
Best in the Desert Silver State Series
Best in the Desert runs the Silver State Series entirely within the state of Nevada. For 2000, the series will consist of the Laughlin U.S. Hare Scrambles, the Terrible's Town 250, the Tonopah 300, the Nevada 2000 and the season-ending Las Vegas 200. Johnny Campbell and the Honda Off-Road Team finished second in the series in 1998, third in 1999 and aim to capture the championship in 2000.
A variety of distances and types of terrain make the Silver State Series extremely challenging to win. At 150 miles, the Laughlin U.S. Hare Scrambles is the shortest race in the series, but it's also the tightest, most technical and most physically demanding. (It's the only race where buggies and trucks aren't allowed to compete due to the extremely tight conditions.) At the other end of the scale is the brand-new Nevada 2000, a six-day-long race around the state, with higher speeds and terrain that encompasses everything from dry lake beds to pine forests in the mountains.
SCORE/Laughlin Desert Series
Honda's victorious Off-Road Team will go for a third consecutive SCORE/Laughlin Desert Series crown in 2000. Three events will once again comprise the series: the San Felipe 250, the Baja 500 and the new, highly anticipated Baja 2000. Campbell has won the 250, the 500 and the 1000 teamed with several different riders in the past.
San Felipe is the shortest SCORE event for motorcycles, but it's notoriously rough, with miles of sandy whoops (deep, closely spaced bumps) that test both rider stamina and motorcycle suspension setup to the utmost. Like San Felipe, the Baja 500 is also a loop course, but it uses more of the northern Baja peninsula. The Baja 2000 will be a point-to-point race starting in Ensenada in the north and zigzagging its way from Pacific Coast side to Gulf of California side down to Cabo San Lucas at the bottom tip of the peninsula for an estimated 1800 miles. Unlike the Nevada 2000, the Baja 2000 will be a single charge to the checkered flag, though with an estimated winning time of around 36 hours, most teams will no doubt opt for more than two riders. Honda will field two 4 to 5 man teams depending upon the final course and mileage.
Select Events
As if the Best in the Desert and SCORE series weren't enough, the Honda Off-Road Team will also contest other select events. The AMA National Hare & Hound Series is a nine-race series that takes place in four states over the course of the year. Hare & Hounds are generally 80 to 100 miles long and are comprised of two or three long loops.
There are also a number of Grands Prix on the schedule. Often a Grand Prix course is 3 to 10 miles long and might incorporate pavement sections as well as unimproved terrain and portions of a motocross track. Some, like the Adelanto Grand Prix, actually use city streets as part of the course. The races are usually 45 minutes to an hour in length. Both Grand Prix and Hare & Hound races are for solo riders, though a Grand Prix might offer a class for two-man teams.
THE MACHINE
Desert racing makes nearly impossible demands on both man and machine. A rider must be in superb mental and physical condition, able to remain sharp and focused despite spending hours at a time on the machine, which must be impeccably prepared and capable of tackling a variety of conditions from technical, low-speed rock crawling to full-throttle sorties across the badlands. From bone-chilling cold to hellish heat to pelting sand, the desert throws everything it has at the racer, and a winning motorcycle must casually shrug off long stints of mechanical torture. Honda's XR-series four-strokes have proven both speedy and practically bulletproof while racking up desert wins for more than 20 years.
The XR's record speaks for itself. In the last decade, XRs went 1-2 at the six-day, 2000-mile Nevada Rally. Johnny Campbell-captained teams have set 24-hour off-road world record endurance runs on XRs, first in '95 with 1140 miles and again in '99 with 1362 miles. XRs captured eight of the top-10 overall motorcycle positions in the 1997 and 1998 Baja 1000s.
In '99, Johnny Campbell got his third consecutive Baja 1000 overall win--this time partnered with Tim Staab--on the brand-new XR650R, extending the XR's winning legacy.
The all-new XR650R is the most technically advanced off-road four-stroke Honda has ever produced, featuring Honda's first liquid-cooled XR engine cradled in an aluminum chassis. With all-new Kayaba suspension the innovative XR650R weighs in at 277 pounds. Minor jetting and simple manifold and exhaust changes boost its output to a whopping 55 horsepower. "It's definitely different from the old XR600R," Campbell says. "Overall, the bike has more aggressive power, a more rigid chassis, and more precise steering."
After three races at the end of the 1999 season, Campbell and company dove into dedicated testing during the short off-season and discovered the stock XR650R didn't need much modification. "We've installed the optional Honda piston and cam, and an exhaust system, and gained about 10 horsepower," Campbell says. "Also, we did some slight revalving on the stock suspension. That's currently what we're going to be running with."
With surprisingly little modification, the XR650R is already a better racer than the XR600R was after a decade of development.