Price and Compare Vehicles:  Your Honor, I protest!..... And so we did. The name of "Barstow to Vegas", is well known on many
fronts. In Racing circles, it was a classic event that made heroes out
of the unknown and sometimes brought the famous to their knees. On the Environmental
front, It's considered an example of the supposed "clear and wanton
destruction" committed by off-roaders against the "virgin and
pristine" lands of the desert". On the Bureaucratic front ,
it is a festering wound that simply refuses to heal What's in a name ? What is so important about this "Barstow to
Vegas" thing anyway ? Well, good reader, the answer is "A
Lot." The famed B to V was once one of the premiere events in off-road
Motorsports... For years, The B to V drew in hundreds of racers around the U.S.
and abroad, to pit themselves and their equipment against the unforgiving
terrain of the Mojave Desert. Entries regularly numbered in the thousands (3500
in 1974 alone). Independent and Factory Teams alike, vied for the #1
trophies, and the prestige that came with them. For the independent, a win
could mean a factory ride. For the factories, the stakes were much higher.
Winning B to V directly equated to product sales, due to many factors,
not the least of which was the considerable media coverage the event
attracted.. Racers and spectators alike, loved the event. Factories
loved the event. The promoters and hosting cities, loved the event. It
seemed that life was good. "Life" however, was anything but. You see, The
Sierra Club (SC), did not approve of the "festivities". This
being the case, They began to apply increasing pressure to the Govt.,
specifically The BLM, to put
an end to the event, because of the supposed "Damage" it
did to the "Pristine and sensitive area". The BLM, in turn,
caved in to the Eco-Zealots of the SC and brought the long-standing event to an
end. The BLM and SC, being used to getting their respective way,
considered the racing ended, and the matter closed. This was not the case. Not
by a long shot! In demonstrating their cowardice, the BLM had managed to highly upset
and offend a great many people, and ruffle a lot of feathers, most notably, Rick
Sieman (second from right in group photo), well known and
longtime Editor of "Dirt Bike" magazine, and of course, Louis
McKey, the legendary "Phantom Duck of the Desert". In the
following years, The Duck, Rick, William Brimson, Al Fols, Pat Martin and a host
of others, have been sued, arrested, attacked, threatened with extortion,
prison time, ect., by the BLM and the Sierra Club, with help from the
radical eco-terrorist organization known as Earth First.   The BLM has, over time, wasted an incredible amount of taxpayer
dollars to investigate, monitor, and harass this group directly, and in doing
so, every American as well.. Public land is supposed to be just that. "Public". Groups
like The Sierra Club, Earth First, The
Adirondack Park Agency, The Southern
Utah Wilderness Alliance, and of course, The BLM , see it in quite a
different light indeed. To them, the "public" land that we all
pay taxes for, and that the United
States Constitution guarantees for all its citizens, is a thing to be
limited, taken, hoarded, closed, shut down, regulated and taken from its real
owners. Those owners being you and I. In their self serving quest for
dominance over the supposedly "free" citizens of The
U.S. the BLM has closed down 20+ MILLION acres of "Public" land
in California alone. In upstate New York, The A.P.A. has drawn a "Blue
Line" around 5 MILLION + acres., i.e., the Adirondack Park. Utah has
lost several MILLION acres of land as well. The Pacific Northwest has
lost enormous amounts of prime forest lands to ensure the salvation of the
infamous "Spotted Owl" (A bird apparently as much at home
in K-Mart signs as it is in "Old Growth Redwood Forests) A
"Salvation" it may be added, that came at the cost of hundreds of
jobs, and the resulting loss of income, homes, food and family medical care . For all that, The B to V remains a very big thorn in the side of the Eco
groups, and their string puppet, the BLM. You see, it was here that McKey,
Sieman et. all, took a stand. More importantly, they won. No, the
race has yet to be reinstated, but they won a major victory, non the less.
Through much legal fighting and personal cost, these men have forced the
upholding the First Amendment to the Constitution. Their work and sacrifice
have made possible the continuing legality of the B to V "Protest
Ride" that will eventually result in the total restoration of the race
itself. That day may not be long in coming. Thanksgiving weekend marked what could
very well be the "Last B to V Protest Ride", and Off-Road.com
was there to cover it ! In years past, at the height of the controversy, the
event drew hundreds of protesters, thousands of
supporters and crews, droves of Eco-groups, an army of BLM Rangers
and , one year, the Army itself ! This year however, the "Non-Event"
was shared by the original protesters, The "Desert
Vipers" MC and even a few newcomers to the Desert Scene. The one
highly notable absence was The Duck himself. Louis was nowhere to be
found. This was highly unusual to say the least, and was commented on by many of
the "non event's" veterans. We will bring you an update
to the desert's "Fine Feathered Friend's" whereabouts, if and when
they become available. "Super Hunky" called a drivers/riders meeting on
Saturday morning at around 9 am and proudly spoke a few words about the "non
event" and its history. He then announced the good news is that the
Vipers are on the verge of a reopening of the B to V Race in 1997! Building
on the foundation set by The Duck, Rick Sieman, the Sahara Club and others,
as well as through untold hours of hard work and legal wrangling of their own,
the Desert Vipers have nearly won the war against the tyranny of the BLM and
the Sierra Club! As the cheers went up from the crowd, (and believe
me, there was a LOT of cheering going on) "Reverend"
Ron Loomis(I am NOT kidding), (far right in group photo), of "The
Church of the Great Outdoors" and Head Honcho of "Team
Loomis" of Henderson NV, gave the following blessing to the proceedings "As we gather here today, let us pause in our preparations for the
day's activities, and Take a moment to thank the Lord for the Miracles which we
are about to see. It is by no accident that this land has taken the shape it
has, nor the animals. For in the beginning, God created the heavens and the
earth, and the day and the night, and the land and the sea, and the plants, and
the stars, and the sun and moon, and the fish and the birds, and the living
creatures of all kinds. And God saw that it was good. As we travel across this great land today, let us look at things with a
sense of awe. Let us look at the earth, the plants and the animals, all as a
personal gift from God. Let us enjoy all of these gifts. Let us see and taste
and smell all of the beauty that surrounds us. And let us treat this gift with
all the respect and reverence that it is due. FOR THIS IS OUR CHURCH. This is
where we come to celebrate the Lord, to feel his closeness, and to put our lives
into the right perspective. Thank You Lord for the gifts You have given us.
Guide us through this land today. Help us to see all that You have given us.
Renew our spirit with your presence. AMEN". At the conclusion of the good Reverend's words, the air was filled with an "Amen!" from one and all. Believer and non believer alike. It was a good start to a great day.
For those of you that have never run the B to V protest course, it is
summed up best as a "Dirt Freeway". In its day, It was brutal
at times with many sand washes, rocky terrain, enormous hill climbs and
decents with some lava fields thrown in for good measure. Very little was on
decent roads. Time and steel Dozer blades have mellowed this monster to its
present state. In a 180 degree turn of your head, you can see Interstate 15,
steel powerline towers, pipeline, and desert homes in some combination, 90% of
the time. There is -NO- part of this course that "runs wild"
through "Environmentally sensitive areas" as the Sierra Club, EF! And
the BLM would have the uninformed public believe. Strangely enough, there was a "Dual Sport" race, running over that very same route at the very same time we were. Hmmmm!!! In any event (this "NON" event actually ;-)
we drove the first leg of the course to one of the last bastions of true
americana. A "Stuckey's Restraunt" located off I-15. After a
quick check of equipment and essential body parts, we were off on the second
leg. This 40 miler took us up into the mountains, along a series of
powerlines. The route can only be described as stunning. Even with
the signs of man's passing, the rugged terrain of the mountain pass can take
your breath away. Its easy to see why Ron Loomis calls this "God's
Country". We came across one of the Dual Sport events riders on a disabled, vintage Triumph
Twin half way through the second leg. One of our group was quick to lend
assistance and we were quickly back on our way. The comradery of the
desert riders is truly a thing to behold
As a VW affectianado, and the VW's
& Sand Cars Editor, there are few things sweeter to my
ears than the sound of an 1835cc , Weber carbed, Tri-Mil / SuperTrapp
exhausted engine at speed. There are , on the other hand, few things
worse than hearing the sound of an 1835cc, Weber carbed, Tri-Mil /
SuperTrapp exhausted engine at speed, when it looses a piston. Or two.
Needless to say, I was not a happy camper when that very sound assulted
my "oh so sensitive" ears. Knowing the motor was scrapped
anyway, we limped in to "Non pit #2", where a quick look at the
plugs confirmed our worst fears. Melted Aluminum. Pat Martin (far left in group photo) met us there and
lent his sage advice. "Trailer it Norm. That Engine's not
going anywhere" . When the man's right, he's right. Our Day of
Joy on the B to V was over. Well, Not quite. Barry, Kim, and the rest of our
little group headed out for "Non pit #3", and after trailering
the car, we joined the other chase vehicles on through "Non Pits #'s 3
and 4". The "Non Event", ended at "Whiskey Pete's" Casino at State Line NV, Where a head count was taken and all riders were present and accounted for. RV's were parked, rooms were acquired, dinner and a bit of "local activity" ensued. Before I retired for the evening, I ran across Super Hunky (or, BSW , your choice ;-) at the Roulette Table. Rick was in a great mood. The "Non Event" went off without a hitch, BLM sent only 1 truck out to take a look at the starting line; which quickly left and presumably did the actual "Work" they are paid to do, and Sierra and EF! were non existent. Getting a bit tired himself, he pushed a not inconsiderable pile of chips onto the "2 to 1" line and let the ball roll. On November 30'th 1996, Rick Sieman won Big all the way around. Be looking for the return of "The Barstow To Vegas Race" in 1997. I am.
[Main Page | About | Staff | Advertising | Inquiries] OFF-ROAD.COM
DisclaimerOff-Road.com, Inc., a Hawaii Corporation, and its Internet sites at "www.off-road.com" and "www.offroad-net.com"K-III Communications Corp, McMullen Argus Publishing, Inc. or the "in-print" magazine titled "Off-Road".
| Enewsletters
Stay on Top of All the Action: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Riders
numbering around 50, left the "non pit area" and went
out onto the B to V course in small groups. Being the only buggy on the course, 
Heading
down the other side of the Clark mountains, we approached a dry lake
that stubbornly held onto the last remanants of a recent rain. The powerline
road began to smooth out, but not before I lost a bungie cord that was securing
some supplies on the roof rack. A quick stop ensued, and we were back on the
trail, nearing "non pit area #2". With no bikes around, I
safely took a trip down "Gear Lane" , and brought the ORC
Desert Rail and Rolling Billboard up to a respectable "catch up"
speed across the valley floor
