Johnny Campbell joined Honda in 1992, racing an XR600R. He won the 1995 Nevada Rally and soon followed up with a Baja 500 win in 1997 as Honda manager Bruce Ogilvie’s teammate. Later that year, Campbell won again at the SCORE Baja 1000 with Tim Staab and Greg Bringle. In all, Campbell collected a record 11 Baja 1000 wins and five Baja 500 wins. He also competed in the 2001 Dakar Rally with an eighth overall.
As a token of appreciation for Campbells efforts and contributions to Honda, the company presented him with the 1997 XR600R that he rode to his first win in the SCORE International Off-Road Series.
“I’m very thankful for my relationship with American Honda, and it means a lot to be recognized for three decades of hard work, racing, overcoming obstacles, giving input for new product, and helping with rider development. I cherish all the relationships I have with the folks at American Honda, and I’m really touched, honored and emotional. It’s been an amazing career so far, but this isn’t a retirement party; there’s still plenty of work to be done, and I look forward to this partnership continuing for a long time!” said Campbell.
“On behalf of American Honda, thank you to Johnny, for the invaluable support over the past 30 years,” said Brandon Wilson, Manager of Sports & Experiential at American Honda. “As a racer, Johnny is synonymous with Honda’s off-road success, and deservedly so. However, his contributions have extended far beyond that, to the point that his fingerprints are still all over the bikes our customers enjoy riding off-road today.”
