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Johnny Campbell Racing & Harden Off-Road host 2nd Annual Handstands at 100MPH desert racing reunion and celebration at Blackmore Ranch!

Sep 26th, 2022

In celebration of the history and legacy of desert racing, from the American Southwest to the iconic Baja Peninsula, Scot Harden and Johnny Campbell once again hosted the Handstands at 100mph event. After its success in 2021, the second-annual Handstands at 100MPH went even bigger in 2022, taking place at the famous Blackmore Ranch in Murrieta, California, on September 24. The accompanying “Baja Borrego” Dual Sport ride is scheduled for December 10 at the Ocotillo RV Resort.

Seventeen different motorcycle clubs and racing organizations attended the reunion and celebration that took place at Blackmore Ranch, including AMA District 37, SCORE International, and Best In The Desert, and clubs from Southern California, Nevada, and Baja, California, Mexico. Each brought out an impressive display of memorabilia, photos, trophies, maps, posters, and gear alongside vintage and modern desert bikes, turning the sprawling Blackmore estate into an outdoor desert racing museum for the day. Food, drinks, activities including STACYC bikes and a pump track for the kids, and of course, plenty of bench racing made for a memorable day.

“Last year’s event was a huge success, one that exceeded every expectation,” said Scot Harden. “And this year’s event came together even better than we anticipated, with so much enthusiasm and support from the Baja/desert racing community.” “This year, we really wanted to target the clubs and associations that are the backbone of the sport,” said Johnny Campbell. “We were so happy to see many clubs and promoters come out for a full day of bench racing, camaraderie, and good times. Our mission is to honor the heritage and legacy of those that have contributed so much to the sport while at the same time inspiring future generations to take on the challenge.” 

A new feature of the Handstands at 100mph was the introduction of “Certified Legends.” A handful of special guests were honored with this first-of-its-kind commemoration.

“A Handstands at 100mph Certified Legend is somebody that has considerable attributes and contributed significantly to the betterment of the sport of desert racing and of course posses the resume to back it up,” explained Johnny Campbell, himself an 11-time Baja 1000 champion. “This year, we had Jimmy Lewis. We had Jack Johnson; we had Lori Conway, Dick Vick, and Chuck Miller. It was our honor to have them here to talk about their accomplishments in desert racing and chat with each of them.”

At 92 years young, Dick Vick, a former desert racing champion and childhood hero of Johnny Campbell’s, stepped up to accept his Certified Legend acknowledgment crediting his wife of 72 years for his success in the desert. Jimmy Lewis, Jack Johnson, Chuck Miller, and Lori Conway were all smiles on stage—and happy to dole out some ribbing to hosts Harden and Campbell.  

The Warrior Built Foundation, a charity organization that provides recreational therapy for combat veterans, was in attendance and accepted a surprise donation of the excess beer money at the end of the event. Lou Peralta and AVE Racing and Lou Peralta came out to talk about land use and encourage people to get involved with legal issues facing off-road racing. 

“We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our sponsors of the second-annual Handstands at 100mph event: 805 Beer, PCI Radios, Baja Bound Insurance, Consolidated Co contracting, Tacomoto, Redline Oil, REV’IT, and Motion Pro,” said Harden.  

The September 24 gathering was only the first half of the 2022 Handstands at 100MPH celebration. Still on the way is the Handstands at 100mph Baja Borrego Dual Sport Ride, slated to take place December 10 in Ocotillo, California. “The Handstands at 100MPH Baja Borrego Dual Sport ride will be 130+ miles long and a true off-road/desert experience,” Harden continued. “In addition to the actual ride, Johnny and I will be doing a riding seminar the night before for everyone who attends. The ride will be an epic one that will challenge every rider.”

For information on the upcoming Handstands at 100MPH Baja Borrego Dual Sport ride on December 10 at Ocotillo RV Resort, visit www.harden-offroad.com.

Words by: Jean Turner Photo Credit: Jean Turner & Dan McGranahan / Handstands at 100mph

Next up for the JCR/Honda Team: Oct 1-2 NGPC round #8 Ridgecrest, CA.  Handstands at 100MPH Dual Sport Ride. Click Here to get Registered Now!

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