A record 11 SCORE Baja 1000 titles and an incredible 17 Baja 1000 wins in a row are just two of a long list of impressive statistics that solidify Johnny Campbell’s rightful place in the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Johnny is the son of a hard working father, John Campbell Sr, who ran a grading business in San Clemente, California. John enjoyed racing on the weekends, and although he passed away when Johnny was still a teenager, his legacy of hard work and love for racing shaped the man and champion his son would become.
In 1989 Baja came calling. Johnny pre-ran the Baja 1000 with Craig Adams, on a borrowed XR350. The next year he entered his first race, the San Felipe 250. In 1991, Johnny teamed up with champion Baja racer and Honda factory rider Bruce Ogilvie. “It started as pit support and small conversations, and he saw some raw talent in me; a guy who was young and hungry to win with some desire. Bruce called me in 1992 and asked me to ride his Honda XR600 and we finished second overall that year at the SCORE Baja 1000.”
The relationship with Ogilvie and Honda shaped Johnny’s career for decades to come, leading to an impressive list of championships and major wins.
CHAMPIONSHIPS
SCORE Desert Series Class 22 (Open Pro) – 1997-2000, 2002-08
Best in the Desert (Silver State Open Pro) – 1995, 2000, 2004-05
AMA District 37 Big 6 Grand Prix Series – 1995-96, 2000, 2003
AMA District 37 Best of the West Series – 1996
AMA District 37 Enduro Series (Four Stroke) – 1995
24-Hour Off-Road World Endurance – 1995, 1999, 2001