baja500 photos on Flickr

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.

2018 Bryce Menzies Torophy Truck 1/5 scaleRC by Otaka0706