THE WEEKLY FEED: CARLSBAD- BACK IN THE DAY • EPIC HARD ENDURO VIDS • SOCIAL DISTANCING

BLAST FROM THE PAST: Danny Chandler 1980 Carlsbad USGP-Flying the Franks 4-stroke

Danny Chandler, mounted on a Kelvin Franks designed machine fit with a Honda XR powerplant plant campaigning at the Carlsbad USGP for the first time in 1980. Once again, a great photo from Mark Kiel.

This quote comes from a Zap Espinoza piece he wrote for MXA and comes from Danny Chandler.

“I had grown up watching the USGP on Wide World of Sports. Even as a young kid, one of my goals was to be the first American to win it. My first time I raced the USGP at Carlsbad was in 1980. I rode a four-stroke that Kelvin Franks made for me. I finished somewhere in the top 20. That was the year that Marty Moates won, so I knew right then that the best I could do would be the second American to win the USGP. It’s funny, but deep inside I knew that my day to win was still to come.”

This is Jeff Jennings on a similar Franks built Honda. The frame and swingarm were custom designs from Franks, the suspension is Ohlins out back, the front end appears to be be Yamaha all the way down to the double leading shoe front brake. Thanks to MXA for the pic!

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The FIRST and STILL THE BEST dirt bike adventure in Baja! Join us for the 26th running of ‘The Baja Ride’ April 10th through 19th 2021. 1500 miles of trails, beaches and memories. Space is limited so reserve now.

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Defending the #1 at the 2021 Dakar Rally

Since the official Honda team returned to the Dakar Rally in 2013 after a 23-year absence, one of the team bikes will, for the first time, do so with the number one emblazoned on its fairings. Monster Energy Honda Team will be seeking to replicate the feat achieved by Ricky Brabec last year, as they face a new goal and a new challenge.

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SOCIAL DISTANCING

Classic 4-Stroke DB shootout- At the time the machines were pedestrian with the exception of the KTM and the Can-Am. The big question is who’s riding and who shot it! As the Webb Meister dug into his vault of memories he came up with Paul Clipper on the Yam, Rod Bush on the KTM, Super Hunky on the Suzuki and he thinks Big Jim on the Honda. He believes the Can-Am guy was a hitch hiker they picked up on the way to the dunes. And TW says he shot the pic.

VIDEO JUKEBOX

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WOLF: BACK IN THE DAY

The year-1994. This was the Arkansas ISDE Qualifier and I was racing in the Senior class riding Kevin Hines’ spare Honda CRE250. The event was super tight and I remember riding with my friend Ron Ribolzi (who won the Senior Intent class) and also that Joe Lojak was on my minute. His brother Eddie was legendary and this was a bucket list event. I ended up second in class, the machine was stellar! The incredible Mark Kariya caught the action.