her late husband, Don, gave
back to motorcycling, the riders
and companies. The couple
promoted the very first Elsinore
Grand Prix in 1968 and then
opened Huntington Beach Cycle
Park that same year. The facility
featured a TT track, MX track,
and at the suggestion of Rick
Woods, a speedway track. Larry
Huffman began his announcing
career there. Hope said during
her acceptance speech Saturday
night, they saw an ad in Cycle
News for a "dormant Adelanto
track," and purchased the land
in 1971. They soon opened 395
Cycle Park. In 1976, the Eng
-
land's hosted the first Adelanto
Grand Prix, which attracted ap-
proximately 900 racers and
more than 5000 spectators over
the two-day event.
Later in the evening, the Trail-
blazers inducted six new Hall of
Fame members: Dave Hanson,
Eric Jensen, Danny LaPorte,
Shawn McConnell, Ron Pierce
and Ed Schiedler.
Hansen is best known for win-
ning the Houston Astrodome TT
in 1974, where the little-known
D-36 racer from Northern Califor-
nia beat out Kenny Roberts for
the win and then finished second
in the following day's short track.
Eric Jensen is the Eric in
"Eric's Motorcycle Company,"
a well-known motorcycle es
-
tablishment in the Southern
California area. Jensen was an
accomplished motorcycle racer,
as well. He earned bronze, silver
and gold medals in the ISDT,
not to mention, he added, taking
a DNF "rounded out" his ISDE
achievements.
Danny LaPorte won the 250cc
Motocross World Champion
-
ship in his first attempt in 1982.
A year earlier, LaPorte was a
member of the winning U.S.
team at the Motocross (500cc)
and Trophee (250cc) des Na-
tions. This was also the first year
that Team USA had ever won the
prestigious race. LaPorte went
on to become an accomplished
off-road racer.
Shawn McConnell is an expert
WIND
IN THE
P40
All Trailblazers Hall of Famers in
attendance were recognized.
