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/680400
VOL. 53 ISSUE 19 MAY 17, 2016 P121 from Saddleback Park. Their dad, Robert Gillman, was a suc- cessful developer of commer- cial properties who had worked his way up from the bottom. He went from wearing nail bags all the way up to the penthouse— Orange County's version of Donald Trump, if Trump had ever worked and minus the bombastic attitude, hateful rhetoric and orange hair. Mr. G and his wife, Ellie, were warm, giving and the type of people who treated every- one like family. They totally supported their boys and the motocross community, opening their home to many racers and mechanics, including Bob Han- nah, Bevo Forte, Brian Lunnis, Jim Gibson and Marty Tripes. It wasn't unusual to see box vans from factory Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki parked side-by-side down by the tennis court and guest house. The parties they hosted after the Trans-AMA races and Nationals were epic and a chance for all of the rac- ers to really cut loose, remem- ber, these were the seventies! To say that Scott was a talented racer would be an understatement; that boy had a gift. With Saddleback be- ing his backyard, he began to dominate and the factories noticed, landing him a ride on works Suzukis in 1979, right next to Howerton and Barnett. He scored a few podiums in the 250 Nationals in '79 but lacked the discipline and training regi- men necessary to win a cham- pionship. When Suzuki let him go after a disappointing 1980 season, Scott followed Mike into racing off-road cars, creat- ing Gillman Brothers Racing. Bob Gillman spared no expense when it came to mak- ing sure his boys had the tools they needed to win and their Sunset Construction-spon- sored cars won everything in sight. But even for the rich, car racing is expensive and most owners would use the winnings to help fund their race team, which by now included a fully staffed race shop. The team was getting help from the folks at KYB shock absorbers and one of the men there had two daughters, both of whom were afflicted with cystic fibrosis, a progressive, genetic disease that causes lung infections and limits the ability to breathe. At that time, average life expec- tancy was under 20 years and Mr. Gillman made a commit- ment to donate 100% of the team's earnings to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The hauler and racecars were all branded with the slogan, "Driv- ing Hard to Conquer Cystic Fibrosis." By the time they were done racing cars, Gillman Brothers Racing had donated close to a million dollars toward finding a cure for this horrible disease. Life expectancy has doubled during that time and real prog- ress is being made to that end, says six-time AMA National Motocross Champion, Broc Glover, whose son, Dayne, was diagnosed with CF at the age of five. Broc and his wife, Molly, know firsthand the sadness, frustration and helplessness that a parent feels when con- fronted with the stark reality that their child faces. May is Nation- al Cystic Fibrosis Month and CF receives zero federal funding. If you are able to donate, please do so. If not, please share this link with your friends and ask that they do the same. http:// fightcf.cff.org/goto/Broc- Glover Bob and Ellie Gillman have both passed away, but their legacy lives on in children like Dayne Glover, who is now 14 years old, with hopes and dreams, like any other kid with their life in front of them. Let's all do what we can to help him get there. And a tip of the hat to Mr. Gill- man—nice work. CN