a social organization of pioneer motorcycle enthusiasts

As we have previously reported, the gears are turning for the 81st Trailblazers banquet on Saturday, March 14, 2026. We’ll be at our usual location at the Carson Center, and the schedule of events will be similar to previous banquets, including the Trailblazers Annual Bike Show Presented by Tom White’s Early Years of Motocross Museum. Motorcycle Classics Magazine will again sponsor the Best of Show award with a feature story to be run about the winning machine and owner.

Banquet Tickets

Banquet tickets will be on sale here beginning at 6:00 a.m. PDT on October 15th

Tickets are $135 each (same as 2025) / Tables of Ten

2026 Trailblazers Honorees

As always, the event highlights will be our presentations to a new class of Trailblazers Hall of Fame inductees, representing various segments of the sport. 

Dave Arnold worked at a few different levels in the Honda organization for twenty years with the distinction of managing American Honda’s star-studded motocross team during the 1980s and early ‘90s, a true golden era of motocross. He later also worked for KTM, Husqvarna and Triumph motorcycles.

Brad Baker is a former AMA Grand National Champion. He clinched that title in 2013 on a Dodge Brothers Harley-Davidson XR750 at nearby LA County Fairgrounds in Pomona. His career was later cut short due to debilitating injuries suffered in a race. He has since stayed involved in a non-racing role, working with other riders and in race promotions.

Randy Hall is a 30-year Trailblazers member and banquet attendee, as well as a 25-year member of the Los Ancianos Motorcycle Club. In the late-1960s Hall met a British roadracer named Rod Gould at Daytona. That led to an invitation for him to go over to England to serve as Gould’s race mechanic. In 1970, Hall became a part of Yamaha’s 250cc Grand Prix team. The combination of Hall’s tuning and Gould’s riding resulted in a 250cc World Roadracing Championship. Hall came back to the United States in 1971 to join Kawasaki Motor Corp. (KMC), a move that lasted over 15 years, including being Kawasaki’s first U.S. Racing Team Manager, as well as R&D work on the new 900cc Z-1. From 1973 through the ‘70s, Hall had various responsibilities relating to the technical development of Kawasaki’s racing machines with much success.

Jim Holley started racing minibikes and moved up through ranks of motocross to 125s and 250s. He turned pro when he was 18 and success came pretty fast at west coast events, which led to his move up to the National level and eventual support from Yamaha. Rather than lock in on a pursuit of American season championships, Jim became a global ambassador for motocross, traveling the world to race in Europe, India, South Africa and numerous countries in South America. Holley eventually moved into doing some stunt work as well as coaching young riders. He also became a familiar voice in motocross broadcasting, was involved with race promotions, and helped organize fundraising programs for the City of Hope. While Jim Holley’s racing accomplishments are notable, when combined with his many contributions to the sport behind the scenes, his Trailblazers Hall of Fame induction will include the added recognition as the recipient of the 2026 Trailblazers Earl & Lucile Flanders Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Ronnie Jones had possibly the longest motorcycle racing career ever. He became a Pro Expert in 1979 and raced the AMA Grand National series for the next 35 years, winning 10 Nationals along the way, including the last-ever AMA National at Ascot Park. Since retiring, he has worked in the industry and most recently heads up a charity to raise funds for injured riders.

Mitch Payton, a former rising star in District 37 desert racing, suffered a spinal cord injury in a crash that ended his racing career when he was 17. Accepting his fate that he could no longer be a racer, Mitch shifted his attention to becoming a motorcycle dealer, as well as building race engines and developing performance products, which led to the founding of his Pro Circuit off-road business and racing team. His team now has over 300 AMA race wins, 31 AMA championships and 6 Motocross des Nations victories to its credit.

Jeff Ward. When the movie On Any Sunday came out in 1971, viewers enjoyed the footage of the little Honda mini-bike rider doing the wheelie at Saddleback Park. Most did not know who he was then, but in the years to come everyone in the sport would know who he became. He progressed up from minibikes to AMA Motocross and Supercross where he recorded 56 national race wins, seven National Championships, and was also part of seven Motocross des Nations victories.

Kel Carruthers, a 2018 Trailblazers Hall of Fame inductee, will be this year’s recipient of the Trailblazers highest award, the Dick Hammer Award. Born in Australia in 1938, Kel grew up in a family motorcycle business until beginning his legendary racing career. By the 1960s, he had become the Australian champion of all classes—125, 250, 350 and 500. In 1966, he decided to move his family to Europe to race Grand Prix events where, in addition to many race victories, Kel went on to become the 1969 250cc World Roadracing Champion. The 1970s saw Kel racing in America with numerous AMA 250cc race wins and an AMA National race win at Road Atlanta in 1971 aboard a 350cc Don Vesco Yamaha. By 1974 he retired from active racing to run Yamaha’s roadrace program, and he was instrumental in mentoring Kenny Roberts, who went on to win three FIM 500cc world championships, as well as 4-time world champion Eddie Lawson and others. During Kel’s years in the sport, he often demonstrated his drive, determination and desire to succeed, which are the fundamental attributes of the Trailblazers’ annual Dick Hammer Award recipients.