Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/674407
VOL. 53 ISSUE 17 MAY 3, 2016 P111 ready for their next big SCORE race or whatever. One year, Jim had heard that his Factory Ya- maha Off-Road teammates Miller and Ogilvie were racing the team race at the Labor Day GP, so he talked me into racing it with him. We were talking plenty of smack to them before, during and after the race, which we won. Miller seemed to let it roll off his back, but I heard Bruce didn't think we were very funny. To me, it was just smack talk between friends and trust me, when it was reversed they dished out plenty—and by "they," I mean Miller, Jim and LR. In 1981, Jim and I teamed up to race the SCORE Mexicali 250, my first and only desert race. I would be racing the second half of the race, getting on the bike at El Chinero. "Big O" was racing the same section, and I jumped all over it when he graciously of- fered to let me pre-run with him. I was a little worried about getting some payback, but Bruce was the consummate pro, sharing as much from his deep well of Baja wisdom as I could lap up. At one point, Bruce rolled up, just as I was whipping around my LR hand-me-down fannypack to fix a rear flat on the big-bore Husky I was riding. It was late in the day and I had not even gotten the wheel off before he had seen enough and told me to get out of the way. Lickety-split, he had the new tube in and before I could say thanks, off he went. If Bruce was holding a grudge, he sure had a funny way of showing it. During the 35 years since then, Ogilvie and Miller both went to work at American Honda, with Bruce piling on to his legendary racing career, while spearheading their off-road racing and bike development teams, until his death in 2009. Chuck worked his way up from ATV mechanic, to race team manager and is currently the national sales manager, while somehow talking smack the entire time. Three weeks ago, I got an email from Miller, inviting me to the 72nd Annual Trailblazers Banquet, an event I had heard of, but had never attended. They were inducting Bruce Ogilvie into the Trailblazers MC Hall of Fame, along with Gilles Vaillancourt, Wayne Rainey, Mike Bast, Don Haaby and Steve Storz. These great men from various facets of two-wheeled racing would join a roster of legends of our sport. It felt good to be among Bruce's friends that Chuck invited to honor the Big O. I drove down to the event and had to park a half a block away, it was so crowded. Over 750 people were there, some of the biggest names in the motorcy- cling world. As I walked around, checking out the awesome bikes on display in the Tom Cates Memorial Bike Show, I had a good feeling about the night. At 7:00, everyone sat down inside at their designated tables and the program began. I knew I was among friends when hosts Keith Mashburn and Don Emde started trading barbs and talking smack about everyone from Sammy Tanner to Kenny Rob- erts, all done with an underlying current of deep respect. It oc- curred to me that many of us dirt bike racers show our love and respect for one another by giving each other hell. I was at one of the Honda tables with Miller and his son, Ryan, along with Wess McCoy, Dan Wright, Peter Postel, Bob Rutten, Charley Halcomb and Brent Wallingsford. We had a blast and laughed our asses off most of the night. Bruce's family was at the table next to us and it was awesome to see how proud his kids were as they accepted for their dad. To those who knew Bruce Ogilvie, it came as no surprise when his youngest daughter said that she really did not know that her dad was such a legendary figure because he had never really spoken about it. I think for the Big O, actions spoke louder than words. I never did get a chance to thank Bruce for fixing that flat down in Mexico and I appreciate Chuck and his crew at Honda for letting me tag along. And I'm proud to say I am now a card-carrying member of the Trailblazers MC. CN