Hourglass May 1, 2008

For today's generation who literally grew up in a video world defined by PlayStation or X-Box, it must be incomprehensible to envision a time when playing the newest electronic game required actually leaving the house and visiting–God forbid–a public video arcade, bowling alley or Chuck E. Cheese.

Hourglass Apr 1, 2008

After nearly four years of promoting all that is great with our Off-Road Nation's history, one constant has been the influence of off-road artist Dave Deal. In the formative beginnings of the sport, Deal's insightful and industry-defining artistry was a cornerstone in boasting the sport's growth.

Hourglass Mar 1, 2008

It was that now-seemingly prehistoric era that existed before the dawning of Trophy-Trucks; an age when open-wheel creations carrying strange names like Chenowth and Raceco dominated desert racing. On a hot July afternoon in 1986, the arid plains surrounding Barstow, California, became the backdrop for a young phenom from nearby Las Vegas to make his first indelible mark on off-road motorsports.

Once billed as the "Richest Off-Road Race in the World," the Mint 400 Desert Race was created by Norm Johnson in 1967. But it was KJ Howe's promotional efforts with the Las Vegas-based thriller that undoubtedly raised the sport of off-road racing's showmanship to extreme levels more in line with modern-day events.

DATELINE:

While there is much to celebrate about the sport of desert off-road racing reaching its 40th anniversary at the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 this year, time's inevitable march toward the future eventually leaves the past, and its heroes, in its wake. Remember always the timeless lyrics of an aging 1970's rock song pointing out that human destiny is nothing more than "Dust in the wind. All we are is dust in the wind..."

While a motorcycle may have been the first to establish a record run down Baja, the first four-wheel vehicle to beat that time is the Meyers Manx.

Love him or hate him, Robby Gordon is one of the most polarizing figures in all of American motorsports. And for the most part, the Off-Road Nation is proud to call the highly talented Mr. Gordon one of our very own.

With SCORE International getting ready to celebrate its very special 40th anniversary running of the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 in November, we felt it appropriate to take a look back at this same time four decades ago.