Can I Get Your Digits?

Motorbike racers need numbers. That's how they tell you all apart with the helmets on. Johnny doesn't believe in giving the man all his hard earned money. So, what does Johnny do... He makes his own numbers. He spends a lot of time making numbers. He anguishes over the sweetest looking fonts. He compares hundreds of fonts for that particular one that will make all of the racers know just how fast he is. That is what Johnny del Fuego does. After hours of handcrafting his own custom numbers there is only one thing left to find out, will Johnny's numbers survive the rough conditions of the race? I guess we'll see.

Prepping the Bike

Sunday was spent doing maintainence to the race bike. Jfd's dad threw in a helping hand, drawing from his experience of racing rallys in an austin healy sprite in the late 60's early 70's.


Threw on a new d607 in record time (110 minutes) while dad changed the oil 2 or three times ("why is this bolt in the drain pan? Oh, crap).

Oiled the chain with the kind of ease that only a racer of jfd's caliber posseses. Then they changed the fork oil...quickly because mom wanted them to watch a movie with her.

With frequent calls to the mechanic, who was tending to his wife at home, the fork oil was changed by the next day, and just might stay in the forks during the race. They neglected to tighten a bolt that holds down the damping device before filling the fork, so it probably isn't going to get tightened til the next time the fork oil is changed. Racing is all about risks, and this is a risk jfd is willing to take.

By the time the coolant was changed, there was enough fluids spilled on the garage floor to service another LC4. So with a dust pan and a squeegee, we were able to get those fluids into the bike of a lesser rider in the stable. Nothing is wasted.

Stripped off the extra "desert racing weight" and suddenly jfd has a lean enduro machine that probably weighs under 400 lbs. Now only to figure out where he'll put his tools and spare parts...

Endurance Training

Part of any athlete's endurance training is staying out too late listening to loud music and drinking. JDF went to one of his favorite clubs in the springs on Saturday night for a little booze and music. Saw Chuck Ragan who is as loud and brash as ever, but the real performance of the evening was from Possessed by Paul James. This boy can play a banjo, a fiddle, a geetar, anything you throw at him. And he can play it with a passion and fury that lights the fire inside JDF. Those boys didn't finish their sets until they had nothing left in 'em, just like JDF likes it. Any show that ends before 1 AM isn't really entertainment, now is it? A couple hours of sleeping it off and JDF is back at the grind training for it. A few more of those and JDF is ready for any desert race that is thrown at him.

Training for Pine Ridge Enduro

Jfd is so bad ass that he only needs to train once every three weeks.
An epic training session was had saturday that included an 80 mile ride in rampart range. About ten of those mile were highly technical jeep trails rated "moderate" in the guide book. But when the trail is ridden at the speed jfd rides, they become extremely dangerous and inconvienient. The gps unit said the average speed was 12 mph, so it's obviously broken and needs to be fixed.

Conditioning for this enduro might be an issue. Jfd gets tired after
20 miles. And not technical miles. Making turns is also an
extremely slow process. But it was probably due to the slippery conditions.

JDF wasn't the only one that was tired. The helmet cam decided to give up after a bit and this was the best it could do.

Pine Ridge Enduro Sign-up

Johnny feels at home in the desert, but is a bit nervous about the prospects of doing a hard enduro in tough wooded terrain. After a reassuring conversation with the race organizers, Johnny decided it is a go for the upcoming Pine Ridge Enduro in Chadron, NE and attempted to send in his entry form. This act turned out to be possibly as difficult as competing in the race. Johnny will be prepping for the race in the next two weeks both mentally and physically.




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Rumba in the Jungle

JDF's latest short film slows things down for a contemplative look at off road riding in some of the best riding spots in the States. The scenery shifts from rocky and harsh mountain terrain to flowing and smooth desert landscape.

Donkey Racing is for the Birds

This may be the future of the sport. After people achieved the dreaded quadruple backflip and the triple lindy what else is there to be conquered in off road racing? THE DONKEY. Looking forward to trials riding on donkeys, or camel racing in the Dakar.

Races on the Horizon

Plans are beginning in the Johnny del Fuego Racing camp for entering the Inyan Kara Enduro in June. This will be the first enduro race for Johnny, who is far more at home in the fast, sweeping terrain of the desert. Will Johnny be able to navigate the tight trees on his lumpy steed? We'll have to wait and watch to find out. One thing is certain, Johnny only knows one speed. Balls out! So we can only expect a glorious outcome whether it be victory or defeat.

Vegas to Reno of Past

The ultimate goal for any American desert racer. The BITD Vegas to Reno. This is where the men come to test their mettle. The other races this season are just training for this epic ride through the harshest environs that the Western states have to offer. It'll feel like homecoming for Johnny del Fuego

Johnny Campbell - The Legend

The man. The Legend. JC is the only man that Johnny del Fuego lowers his eyes to. Here is a bedtime story for the youngins, so they might someday grow strong and have epic tales written about themselves.

Fuego en Movimiento

Some early season training footage of Johnny del Fuego. JDF has been training hard to prepare for his 2011 race schedule.

Mi Casa es Johnny del Fuego's Casa!

Visited the cabin where JDF first learned to rip two wheels through the arroyos. It brought back memories of green chile and rattlesnake stew, desert sunsets, and whipping across the New Mexico desert faster than the wind.