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Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame wreath

1979 Inductee

Ray Moon
ADVOCATE

Ray Moon

Ray Moon served as a land access advocate for motorized off-road users throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He worked with local and state governments to maintain land access.

Moon was born in 1946 in New York. His mother moved him and his three brothers to California in 1962 after their father passed away. His mother bought an interest in Prado Sports Cycles, a Corona based motorcycle shop. The Moon boys grew up riding dirt bikes in the Riverside area. Moon raced a bit too as a young man taking part in sport car events driving a Volvo.

In 1968 Moon went to Viet Nam serving in the Army for the Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV). There he drove his first Jeep and had to figure out himself how to put the vehicle into four wheel drive after getting it into nine inch deep jungle mud. After he completed his tour of duty he returned to Riverside, California. In 1969 Moon once again hopped in behind the wheel of a Jeep. He spent time touring the back road of California and became involved with his local club. Seeing the need to keep the trails open he began working with the California Association of Four-Wheel Drive Clubs (CA4WDC). There he worked to maintain and obtain better land user rights. The CA4WDC elected him their Conservation Chairman. In the position he worked with other off-road user groups such as hikers, rock hounds, motorcyclists and RVers to keep access. They worked together on conservation projects such as desert clean ups, rehabilitating natural springs, closing open mine shafts and protecting petroglyphs and pictographs. In 1977 the CA4WDC elected him their Vice President for a two year term, in 1980 he became their President.

Source: Author Interview with Ray Moon, June 2006.

CLASS OF 1979