Gale Pike and His 1973 Stroppe Race Bronco

 

                                                Gale Pike and His 1973 Stroppe Race Bronco

                             The Original 1966 Baja Bronco

                                         (plus a little off road racing history, as I remember it)

                                                                                Part 1

This past year has been quite a boot for me watching all these high buck Bronco ( 67-75) restorations driving  up and down the Coast Highway. The last time I saw anything like what is going on today was in  Victorville, Ca. 2006. That year folks that do those things, got together some dozen ex Bronco racer drivers to celebrate forty years of off-road racing and the Bronco that was it’s spotlight vehicle. In 1968,  the first ‘Baja 1000’ race,( which  had its beginnings in 1967 with a 68 car and bike rally, 31 finishers) had  Larry Minor, Rod Hall, in a 1968 Stroppe built Bronco  win 1^st over all, beating all the other 243 cars and bikes that began the race.   Some four hundred and fifty Broncos and their owners showed up at the county park. All the Broncos were lookin good. Sharp, clean, modest restorations. But not like what I see today, these $50,000 plus jobs. God bless all those Bronco owners, sure makes this old heart pump a little faster to see his past revisited. Even Hollywood thinks the Bronco is cool, look at all the Movies and TV. commercials that showcase them.

 The king of the Bronco was Bill Stroppe. His five acre race shop

on top of Signal Hill, Long Beach Ca. created the Baja Bronco. Stroppe ran the Ford off road race program. Twenty three cars (one Edsel) pick ups, (Walker Evans), Broncos’ (Parnelli Jones, later the Big Oly, that just sold for one point seven million.) Larry minor, Rod Hall, best four wheel driver, ever, ( Fricker, navigator).  Stroppe not only engineered the race trucks, built them , pitted them ,got them to the track and back ,but also co-drove (navigator) for Parnelli’. Head man, Ford racing for many years.  Built the cars that ran and won the Mexican Pan American, (two thousand plus miles, one end of Mexico to the other) road race program for Lincoln. Placed first, second, third, first second third, first second, (Cadillac took third the last year), using the best NASCAR drivers of the era. That race saw Mercedes develop the 300 SL Gullwing. (won first, second third, sport car division . The oldies now sell for over a million. See the movie, Ford vs Ferrari, all Fords number 98, Stroppe. He also was involved. 1946, number one racing in America? Midgets. Seems like Stroppe drivers always won the national championship. Then on to Indy 500. (Biggest car race in world) Like Parnelli . Last lap, Parnelli driving STP turbo for Granatelli, leading by a mile, turbo  engine quits. Next year, Indy 86s turbos. Engine too fast. Me? I think it was the driver   ( on TV., the great Al Unser called Mr. Jones the fastest race car driver ever.) You should of seen him in the dirt, not to be believed. The ‘Indy 500’ was destroyed twenty years ago by two egocentric clowns that split Indy Racing into two separate divisions. PS. Le Mans was number two. Another one of Bills’ Midget champs won the Indy 500. With his driver, Parnelli, he won NASCAR championship for Mercury. This man, Bill Stroppe, was Mr. Bronco.   

Lotsa folks didn’t like the Stroppe Team. At the track, 23 beautiful groomed Ford race cars Being unloaded off of red white and blue car haulers. Most guys and gals racing what they brung, towed behind a pick up. ( I did that for many a year also.) You can understand the feeling.  Stroppe also brought the big logo 18 wheeled van repair shops to NASCAR with their uniformed crews. First class in whatever he did.

  My 1973 Ford Bronco was the last race Bronco Stroppe built. I think the best stock production four-wheel drive, off road race car ever built. Before I go on talking about the racing I’ve seen and been involved in, especially where the Bronco is concerned, the wins and finishes are not about me but rather about what a great race car Stroppe built. That truck won big races not given credit for, I’ll tell you about later on. He built one great machine, me and my sons just drove it. We raced that Bronco from 1973 to 1989, this Bronco finished first in class in 1975, Baja 1000, in 1988, Jean 250, Quite a run wouldn’t you say? And several more in between. (given credit or not) But don’t get me wrong, my Bronco wasn’t the only great Bronco race car Stroppe built. Remember, 1968. 1^st.  Baja 1000, Minor, Hall, Bronco, first over all. How about the Big Oly, for Parnelli, the Pony for Minor, who can forget Rods’, ‘Halls Ass’. Winner, Winner, Winner. All those cars and drivers got more than their share of wins.

How’d I get involved in all of this? Born in LA., city boy till my twelfth year when my folks bought a roadside café in Baker California highway 91.  Yeah, Baker, LA., 200 miles, Vegas 92, Gateway to Death Valley. Not just the ‘Gateway’ but the Valley goes on the south for the next twenty or so miles to the Providence mountains. Talk about the ‘Boonies’ we made our own power, sewers, dug water wells,  hauled drinking water from a place twenty miles out. Bit of a change from downtown LA. 120% summer, freeze water pipes, winter. Desert, desert everywhere. One room school. WW11, sent to military school, LA. Junior Hi., New Mexico Military, High School. Summer vacation, pumped  gas, three pumps in front of café.  Dad made me a putt-putt out of crashed Piper Cub airplane. Gen Patton practiced war attacking Baker, used to take Putt-putt on tank tracks.  Korea. Dad had passed, mom says, ” no war”, military college, New Mexico, U.of A. ROTC. Four weeks till 2^nd. Lt. commission, quit. Went home to help mom run Baker. Lasted six months, drafted.  Army, saw records, trained other draftees to march. Three months,3,200 GIs’ sent to Korea. Me to France? Ran Officer- NCO. Club, Bordeaux, France, on army base. Sunday off. Into town, never seen a car race. The Grand Prix de Bordeaux past me on the curb doing 120 Mph. whipping my pant leg. “That’s what I’m going to do when I get home” I did.

How do you race cars? No one to tell you how. No driver is going to tell you, Sempre Fe, No driving schools in the 50’s. Read novels.  Built my own race track in the gravel behind my motel. Laid out road course (read about in books) with pylons borrowed from highway dept.  Bought MG TD for practice, (raced it too) to learn to four wheel drift, feather the corners. Bought a 120 Jag roadster, Sunday night winter to Vegas to bank, 11pm. No one on  road, could do Jean underpass at 110, okay. Mom had put my share of Baker profit in bank. After taxes. Bought a 140 Jag, went racing, SCCA, Palm Springs Ca. two meets,  1955, 1956,  six races, ( safety features: helmet, leather, polo type, seat belt strapped under frame with chain.) Movie, Ford Vs. Ferrari, Ken Miles, Shelby also there, raced in different classes.  Bought a Gull Wing. Coming home a Chevy ‘T boned’ me. Sent to Lockheed Air to repair tube frame aluminum body. Six months to do job, got married before I raced again. I got a letter, (maybe everybody did), to invite me to race in the 1^st. annual Hawaiian speed week. Two weeks, car, driver, mechanic, room, board, Waikiki,  $1000 entry fee. I tell my new wife, “I got to go.” My new wife, patting her stomach, our first child, Matthew inside, “Honey those days are over.” And they were, for sixteen years.

1973, oldest of five, 15, To Leonora, my wife, “I’ve been working my fanny off, 24-7, how about I go racing again?” My great wife, “Okay”.  Bought a MG TF.  Could only get new SCCA drivers license on weekends. No go, had a restaurant to run. Had a pal, Bill Sears, fireman, raced bikes in the desert (Barstow to Vegas, etc.) against the likes of actor Steve McQueen, famous Malcom Smith (1^st. to win gold for USA, Europe Trials). Got to talking about racing. He says, “There’s this desert race for bikes and cars out side of Vegas. I’m too beat up to races bikes any more, I still want to race, you pay for materials, I’ll build the car. Plus don’t need special license, drivers will do.  Wanta to go?” “Hell Yes!”

Three weeks to race, go look at race car. “Bill, I don’t know what that is, but I’m not getting in it.” In 1958 I made a break from Baker. Moved to beach. In Baker had built new gas station. Tired of café business. Opened over one acre station for Mobil in OC. Stolen blind.  Developed two midgets. (at the Same time Stroppe- Parnelli # 60)  A rail job, with a Fergerson four banger. Other car, tube frame, Ford 60 engine, went like lighting. As good as Offys’. So fast scared my driver, driving off track, wiped out front end on pit gate post. Gave my whole outfit away. (Back to Baker, out of bullets) Point, knew a little about race cars. In local paper, “Saab rally race car for sale, raced Baja.” Bought it. Staging, ‘1973 Mint 400’, snowing, young guy next to me, single seat, “Today is my birthday, I’m 21, name’s Rick Mears.” (How many ‘Indy 500’ did he win(4), plus all the other races thru out the world) “Well Rick, I need help, don’t know what I’m doing here. Got some advise?” “Sure, go slow, look around, lot of guys going pass you.” Made it eight miles, big rock, knocked out cold. Sears took over, got sixty miles in, top of hill, cold, snowing, end of race for us. Few yards away, Big Oly comes to halt. Engine quit, carburetor  froze.  There’s Stroppe, Parnelli, hood up, standing over engine, urinating on Carb. Got her going, don’t remember how they finished. But Sears was finished with me, guess he didn’t like my style of driving.

Art Nisson owned local sport car repair shop. Took on Saab, prep and co-driver. Next race, 1973 NORRA ‘Baja 500’. Time to pre run. Nisson has this old Toyota 4x4, talk about hard on your butt.  Sleeping bags, cooler full of cokes and beer and we’re off. Left early, Ensenada to Catarina. 7pm. No town, Senora Josephena Ranch. Taco stand, refrigerator full of Coronas. No power, warm beer. Look at map, dry lake Chapala 60 miles to Gonzaga Bay, canyon shorter. (Josephena owns Gonzaga, Stroppe and Parnelli each have trailers there) Canyon, boulders, boulders, get to beach after seven hours. Pass out. Dawn, parched , need fluid. Open cooler, aluminum cans crushed from ride. Nothing left, Going to die out here. No folks at Gonzaga. Head north to Puertecitos over up and down lava mountains, ‘Three Sisters'. Look ahead, Nisson driving, shinning thing on trail, five more yards, another shinning thing on trail. Six all told, six cans of cold Coors. Must be a biker ahead of us, falling out of his fanny pack. Saved our life. Gas at Puertocitos. Nisson ,” map says turn left.” Pike says, ”Hell no, straight ahead to San Felipe and home.”

Race Day, Ensenada, up on green starting ramp, picture, ‘NORRA 1973 Baja 500’, off and running. Art Nisson, “Go faster.” Camalu, 200 miles, Saab all done. “Your turn Art” ( Keep Saab, oldest son Matthew drove it in rally races  at college, near San.Fran., Noah, youngest, wiped it out,  he was 16.) I learned something. If you’re going to spend all this time and money to go racing, best have a car that has a chance. Last couple races watch this one, Bronco, ‘Halls’ Ass’,  Stroppe Team, go like fast, smooth.

“Bill Stroppe?” “No, Bruce Eichelberger.” “I want to talk to Mr. Stroppe about buying a Bronco race car.” “ I can handle that, Stroppe is in Detroit talking to Ford. I build those Broncos’.” Would you build me one?” “Sure.” “Swell, how much?” “$10,000 “ says Bruce. “ No Mr. Eichelberger, I want the whole package, buy the Bronco  from you, you build it  race ready. One deal, How much?” “$10,000” “Really, sold. Bring you a deposit check tomorrow, Thanks” Week later, “Hello Mr. Pike, Bill Stroppe, Bruce told me about the deal to build you a race car. He made a goof. No can do, loose money. But for another one grand, break even,  I’ll honor the deal.” “Eleven thousand is good by me. Build the car.”

Bronco set up: Full cage roll bars, no doors, canvas, no top, canvas over roll bars.  On top two foot long chrome truck type air horn. Big heavy Balstrom seats. (Like 18 wheelers) 30 Gal. sealed in rubber gas cell in bed. Spare tire behind. Tires, Firestone ‘Baja Runner’. ( Think wheels custom) Two Gabriel ‘E’ adjustable shocks each corner, set max tight. Ford 302, pretty stock. Transmisson, Art Carr. Steering box, Lee.  Couple road lamps up front. Later two in bucket on top, adjustable from inside cab. 

How did Bill Stroppe do it? How did he build a $25,000 plus race car for $11,000 and not lose his shirt? First Stroppe was an honorable man. A man of his word.  He was not about to make a deal with someone, then renege, whether he lost money or not. A deal was a deal. Here is this almost fifty year old story as told by his son, Willie Stroppe. (who else would know?), “In the rear of the 5 acre race shop sat an old rusty, but whole, Bronco frame, numbered 0001. The frame was sent to  him by Ford as a mockup for the Baja Bronco, that my dad was going to create. And that what it was used for, and now it saved the deal. Using this frame, my dad did not to have to start by using a brand  new Bronco. The frame sanded and painted by Bruce Eichelberger, started and completed the 6 weeks project by him alone , to build a race car for Pike. Start, frame up end to end roll bar gage. Add to frame axels,  trany, stock motor, springs, lots of parts laying around shop, 8 inexpensive shocks,  fuel cell, couple of lights, factory cost, maybe $3, 500 or so, canvas for doors, roof, no windshield, we come out even”.      

I think my 1973 Bronco race car is the first ‘Stroppe  Baja Bronco’. Team Name: Sleepy Hollow Racing. ( Where restaurant was located) Logo: Bronco  Surfing, Call Name : Beach Bum. 

First race in Bronco,  November, 1973 ,SCORE, ‘Dam 500’ Parker Arizona.

(Best as I remember) Stroppe,  Parnelli, Thompson create SCORE,( NORRA and Pearlman not keeping up with times.) Stroppe (Ford),  Parnelli (Firestone tire stores) both too busy, need good promoter, give outfit to Mickey Thompson. Thompson, nice guy. Trudy, wife, helps, nice lady. (Thompson well known racer. Running ‘Indy 500’ had an oil leak. Black flagged. Wouldn’t quit. ‘86’ from Indy. Can’t come back. They run the ‘Dam 500’, same day as ‘Mexico 1000’. About 200 entries at ‘Dam’. Less in Mexico. ‘Dam’  Course: 125 mile Arizona, transport, 250 mile California, transport, 125 miles Arizona. Pike drives Arizona, Nisson drives California. Time to get into Bronco first time. Practice.  Arizona, Bouse road, gravel, wide. Art and I get in. Foot on door frame looking into two foot long, chrome air horn. Quarter mile, 90 degree turn. On it’s head!    From then on, getting into race car, see flat air horn, remember, Bronco can be squirrelly. Talk about ‘Bouncing Bronco’, 8 Gabriel ‘E’ shocks set tight by Stroppe. Guys that take the right side are something special. Finish good, mid pack. Drivers meeting, Blue Water Marina, Mickey talking, some punk mouths off, one punch, punk on his butt. Meeting continues.

Race number two: Mickey Thompsons SCORE Parker 400.  February, 8,9,10, 1974. Course: 100 miles Arizona beginning: Blue Water Marina, transport, 200 miles California, transport, 100 miles Arizona. Entries: 250, 22 stock 4x4, 20 modified 4x4. 42 total 4x4. Finished 6^th in stock class.   Hall wins, Barlow second, (NASCAR WEST, driver) fourth, Adams, 2 minutes ahead 5^th ‘Scoop’ Vessels (ABC, Curt Goudy, Wide World of Sports, Sunday, hour and a half) all on ‘Scoop’ winning ‘Baja 500, over all in Parnelli Chevy. One of best drivers ever, was my good friend.) 2 minutes, ahead of 6^th Pike. Pike 8^th place of all 42, 4x4. Nisson wants to go sport car racing. “Okay, have fun.”

Next race:  Walt Lott, Hi Desert Racing Assoc., ‘Bonnie and Clyde 400’,mid March, 1974, Jean, Nevada. Named for Bonnie and Clyde bullet ridden car, on display. Lenght: four 100 mile laps.  Pickups, 4x4s do three laps, fuel thing. Entrees: about 300. Start finish, Pop Simon Oasis, Peter Simon, Prop.  The replacement race for the ‘Mint 400’. Del Webbs’ Mint Hotel sponsored the race. Created in 1967 to bring customers to Fremont Street and the Hotel.  Show Time! Normal, day before race, Fremont Street closed. Cars and drivers line up on street for ‘tech inspection’ in front of Hotel.  All accessible to fans. By late 70s’ local papers estimated spectators around course at about 100,000.  Fun for all. Walts’ race, tech in front of Pops’ Oasis. Reason for change of venue? Arab nations and OPEC., $100 for barrel of oil. No gas, no electricity, ( déjà vu?) Las Vegas turns down bright lights to almost nothing. Not in mood to sponsor three hundred race cars spewing out 100 octane gasoline.

Program: Thursday, pre run. Friday, evening, drivers meeting, K.C., head of Mint PR. Picks starting positions out of Keno basket. No start by class, just by draw. Saturday: race. Sunday: Trophy, checks. My son Mathew and pal Bro-in law, U.J. were my chase crew

Course: Start, Finish, Pits, in front of Pops’ Motel on old highway 91. North along gravel road next to raised RR bed. Turn East 90 under tracks, clearance two three inches each side. Parnelli come by at 100, hammers right, goes thru at 100. I went thru at 50. Up the mountains where now sits State Prison. On to power line roads, (from Boulder Dam), down desert going south, pass Bronco of Cal Wells, Father, son. (Cal Wells, son did race program for Toyota, Ivan Stewart became ‘Iron Man” icon. Owned ‘Indy’ and NASCAR  teams from Anaheim shop. Think my new co-driver Willie Stroppe was asleep, Pike too slow.) First race drove entire race myself, as I did from there on, except the Baja 1000s, took 350 mi. marker to  450 mi. marker out of car for break. The ‘1000’ MPH was about 50 MPH, running between 20 and 90 MPH, took about 20 plus hours for 4x4 win. ‘Mint’, ‘Parker’ 35-40, ‘Barstow’ even slower, rough.( with friend Silverstein, always got lost, didn’t pre run.) West mountains, South down mountains, East across Nev. Ca. State Line dry lake, North to finish.        

 Race: Random start. Parnelli in front of me 15 sec. Don Barlow behind 15 sec. 1/4  Mi. Walt had built 12-14 ft. high jump across track. Watch Parnelli drive around. Me too! Look up, watch Don Barlow in his ‘Crazy Horse’ Broncos under carriage flying over my head. 2^nd. Lap. Parnelli, Minor, Evans short cut . Observer calls Walt. Walt waits at start finish line, black flagged all three stars of off road racing. Out! Finished! Walt, the best of off road racing. As I cross the finish line, Hall passes me, one lap down. I’ve beaten him by over two hours! (good thing, bad thing), You’ll see. Go to impound, 8^th car to finish. Others all single, double seat buggies. (only had to do three laps, about 9, 10 hours.) Went to pits to apologize for being rude during gas stop. I was! Pits waiting for other Stroppe cars. Sunday: see results. Class 4x4, winner John Baker modified Bronco. Hi Desert ran all 4x4s at that time as one class.  Pike 8^th. . 1^st truck in. (Who is Pike anyway) Wonder where I did finish? Think I did better, who knows? Would be good for ego. Wonder if any Hi Desert Race records still around?

 1974 Racing:  February, Arizona, ‘Parker”. March, Las Vegas ‘Mint 400’. June, Ensenada Mexico ‘Baja 500’

 Ensenada, Mexico. What now has gotten to be the norm. 300 or more entered, 20 plus stock 4x4. Lined up behind the bikes on the main drag just after dawn. Facing South, probably foggy. Want to go for ride? Vehicles start 30 sec. apart. Flag man stands, green flag in one hand, 5 finger count down in other, 5,4,3, flag drops -Go! On pavement, 1/4 mi. 90 turn, East, 1/4 mi. dump into arroyo headed East, spectators crowding course on both sides. Few miles out of sand wash up dirt mountain road past burning garbage dumps.  Cross onto paved road heading East. 5 miles, left at veggie stand in dirt across corn fields, some guys short cut, running crops. In dirt, Ojo Negros, small town, dirt main street, banked right side, go thru middle, heading East dirt road sage brush, past Colnett, course next to grave yard, people throwing rocks at cars. Why not? Some guys short cut thru folks grave markers.  One year, lost co-drive windshield side, (did no short cut, didn’t matter got rocked anyway) , spent 400 miles looking thru cracks. Into Pine Forest, yes pine trees on either side of course. Never seen so many 4x4 on their heads, mostly jeeps. Following jeep, ( race car driver, announcer, Sam Posey, later Wide World Sport) can’t get by, trees, eyes sanding, prescription goggles not that good. Out of forest, East to Alselmo to turn north over mountain. Fast, slight down, little rough grade some cross cuts.  Beat Hall last time out, at ‘Bonnie and Clyde’,  he’s ahead somewhere, going to ketch him and pass his ‘Ass’ soon. Go, Go, Go. Tearing of canvas door flaps. OOPS! Two endos, two side rolls, land on feet. Gas all over me and co-driver (that Stroppe recommended.) No anti- syphon developed as yet. First endo right hand on steering wheel, left lands on side roll bar, crushed in side roll. Wouln’t look, couple minutes, don’t think I’ve got a hand. Yep it’s still there, hurts like hell. Kind of flat. Got first aid kit, just aspirin. Son Matt, chase car, shows up. I Tell co-driver, “Bronco okay, Stroppe pit 5 mi. You wanted to drive, take her, it’s your race now.” Later Matt says he drove to pavement, met friends, case of beer, highway back to Ensenada.

Doc says, “Can’t believe it, no broken bones, they’re just crushed, work good in four years, right now just a claw.” He was right. Told wife,” Changing tire, jack slipped, tire fell on it.”  She bought it. (maybe)

You’d think you’d know, looking at the flat air horn, claw like hand, you’re not nearly half as good a driver as you think you are. I agree. That was the end of racing for 1974.

 

1975 racing. February, Arizona, ‘Parker 400’, finished. March, Las Vegas, ‘Mint 400’ finished.  June ‘Baja 500’ broke spindle, (got chrome ollies, full floating rear axle for safety). July, Barstow, Ca. ‘Fireworks 250’ (roughest course in series. ‘Mint’ tough, Barstow tougher.) finished. November, Mexico, ‘Baja 1000.’

In 1975 Before ‘1000’ race, I drove 3500 miles, pre running and racing the courses to trying learn what the hell I was doing, what off-road racing was all about. I learned a little. Don’t charge from cross wash, to cross wash, break, hammer out of cross wash to next one.  Not the way to drive off road. Pick a gear ( I ran in second gear a lot) Wash, tap break ( left foot, NASCAR finally learned) thru wash, gas,  pick up speed, go smooth. Go fast when can, sand wash, get on top of sand. go like hell.

1975, a year of change. Stroppe ( never a good business man) sells part of his company 51% to Ben Ford Jr. ( yep the grandson) and his pseudo psychiatrist, Fuentes. they fire him. Throws him out.( uses Stroppe name and products).  Stroppe has   to move into small shop down the hill on Cherry St. The ‘team’ for the most part stays with Benson and Fuentes. Who is at Cherry shop?  Dede, office lady, Frolic, Jammie Martinez, two other old timers and Willie. Ford Company still sending a little business. Two race cars left, me and a pick up from Mexico. November, so off to Ensenada Mexico and the ‘1975 SCORE AC-Delco Baja 1000’, ( SCORE for its first ‘1000’). Two car hauler, Jammie and Stroppe, with roving pit. The old ‘1000’ was never a 1000 miles, less, with 200 miles of pavement at the end. ‘SCORE 1975 Baja 1000’, 800 miles, all dirt, first time.

Let’s go race the ‘1000’. Starting at Ojos Negros, 205 cars, 34 bikes, East 20 mi. of  Ensenada, South, Valle de Trinidad, south ‘Mikes Sky Ranch’, San Quintin, Arenoso,  Rancho Santa Ynez, out of Bronco, take my 100 mi. break. (Willie and Silverstein get lost couple hours didn’t pre-run), Get back in, driving,  Punta Prieto, 400 mi. in .East to coast, on East Coast, North to El Crucero, Gonzaga Bay, Three Sisters, Puertecitos,  Parnelli  Firestone , Chevy pit stop. Beautiful, big lights, guys in red uniforms, Run by the ‘Commander’ ex navy officer, pull into pit just before dawn. With Stroppe  troubles,  Parnelli builds Chevy( like ‘Big Oly’) no more Fords, has his own pits and crew. Pike hollars,” need gas and check up”. Commander, “No can do, waiting for Parnelli”. Pike, “ Parnelli history, finished, broke in half. I’m the only winner you’re going to see tonight”. They gas the arrogant Pike and away he goes. San Felipe, North West across Diablo dry lake( sometimes), Valle de Trinidad. The road back to Ensenada was a sand wash, just before Valle, coming around a blind corner I met a Greyhound bus going to San Felipe, we missed. Wille informs me, “ Better pick it  up, Dick Dahn is just two  hours behind us at San Felipe.” Pike replies, Then, he’d better hurry up if he’s going to catch us.”. Ensenada. First place Class three, 4x4. Twenty five hours, twenty seven minutes’ Steve Mizel driving the ‘Pony’, he bought, ( built by Stroppe, Like the ‘Big Oly’) won modified 4x4. Of the 69 cars that finished in the 38 hr. time limit, none of he other ‘Team Stroppe.’ Won. (finished?)  Sunday, Ensenada, awards, trophies, checks, “ Class three winner”, Pike stands, cold Coors in hand, “I’d like to dedicate this win to the real Bill Stroppe.”

1976, Cherry Street, Signal Hill, Ca. ‘Stroppe and Son’ .Getting ready for ‘Parker’ stop in to check on Bronco. 15 plus ‘Team Stroppe cars back at ‘Stroppes’ shop. Nothing like being around a winner. On to ‘Parker’. Jamie Martinez Stroppe mechanic, new co- driver. Jamie, was brought to the States from Guatemala   by Stroppe as a teen ager whom , (I think) was orphaned
. Sweeping floors in a race shop during a new ‘Pan Am Road Race’. He taught him all the skills needed to be a top race car mechanic. He was. Also a co-driver (mechanic) for some of stroppes fastest drivers. Co-driving at Parker come down the sand wash on the Arizona side, I holler, “Jamie, I’m loosing my brakes, should we stop and check?” Jamie hollers back,” You don’t need no ‘bleeping brakes man. Hit the ‘Bleeping gas.” When we won ‘Parker’, I say at the finish, “We won Jamie, we won” Jamie, “no we didn’t.” “yes Jamie we did” The ‘Baja 500’ in June, Willie aboard, off the mountain, heading toward El Crucero, followed tracks up sand wash, dead end wrong way. Manny Esquerra,  Stroppe mini truck driver, stuck in sand, “Pike, stop, pull me out.” No can do Manny, winning.” Turn around back down sand wash, here comes ‘Scoop’, going the wrong way, I hit the course, gone. Winning the ‘500’ I get bronze Montezuma trophy, makes a pair, got one from ‘1000’. Stewart and Vessels win, they got two, only guys and Pike got ‘em.  Great for the ego. On to Barstow, 4^th July, ‘Fireworks 250’. 2^nd, Lose to Adams, stock 4x4, Ray Russel built Jeep C17. ( Wagoneer axles extend out past body, Ford 60 rear end, ) Stock? Ain’t we got any rules? Bronco stock! Off showroom floor. Looking forward to “1000.’ Sherman Balch and Pike tied for class 3 champ.  Hoping for ‘Hat Trick’, ‘1000, ‘500’ ‘1000’. Balch and me, whom ever finish in front of other wins championship.

 Shortest ‘1000’ ever. 535 mi.  bad for me, I like longer races. Race, doing fine, 300 miles, don’t know where Sherman is.  Going to let Willie in for 100 Mi. Up to ‘Mike Sky Ranch and down, (can’t get lost? Why Willie co-driver?  Good Bronco driver.)  I’ll Take last 135 Mi. home to Ensenada. Driving West on pavement, 5-6 Mi., passing buggies right and left, what’s going on? White stuff on ground, not water. Snow! 6 in. deep, Bronco going like hell. No windshield in Bronco, starts heavy snow. Jacket in back, I’ll get it at ‘Mikes’ turn out where Willie gets in. No Wille! No Pit! Up to ‘Mikes’ I’m freezing, just before top, rear end falls off. Stop, two other broke, campfire. Silverstein co-driver. Pike “What happened?” Silverstein,” Nuts fell off “U’ bolts that hold rear to truck.” Pike, “Fix?” Silverstein, “Little bit, put come-around frame and axle, go slow, get off mountain.” 5 hrs., bottom, Willie, Pike, “Put on nuts, take her home, Maybe Sherman broke.( Didn’t, won race) “I pass out, chase driver takes me to Ensenada. Willie quit race. Put Bronco on hauler and drove home. Why he moved our pit get in? Next week, Bill Stroppe, “ I saw your rear end coming off when you passed us, ( Bill co-riding in some guys Stroppe Ford pick up) guess I should have called next pit.” I go to the Awards in L. A., Pantages theater, Sal Fish, “ Second place class three championship, Gale Pike.” Up on stage, hands out, Fish,” What?” Pike, ‘’ Not even a trophy.” Leave stage, embarrassed, drove home. Ever feel like Rodney Dangerfield? Later, drove a lot of ‘Hi Desert’. Champ in ‘82

This photo was taken on the California side of the Parker 400 Race. The previous year the venue had been changed. The Parker was being ran in the late fall. That year I had been adjusting the Bronco suspension to have more give; coil springs, leaf springs, shocks, we finally won Parker after  having been 2nd, 4th, 5th, etc. First race the next year in the spring at the Parker, without informing me, Jamie, had decided to change the suspension back to it's stiffness. I came to this whoopty-do, angry, and flew the Bronco on purpose. I screamed at Jamie, " I'm going to break this truck and leave both of you in the desert." I did break axel. The original version of the photo I had in my restaurant, where unbeknown to me, one night, Evel Knievel visited the restaurant, when he saw the photo, he asked if he could autograph it "WOW". Before I was able to see the autograph, someone stole the photograph. A few years later, a gentleman brought me this photo which he said he took. And I responded  "Thanks for the photo, but you didn't take it. I watched a lady take this photo as I flew over."  

On the driver's door panel are the names of the drivers-the co-drivers, names and dates raced. 

Part 2

 page 4- PP 1 & 2 - I added how the 1966 Bronco is my truck, not on part 1   

1976 ‘1000’ 500 mi, 1977 ‘1000’ 650 mi. 1978 ‘1000’ 580 mi. Those ain’t no ‘1000’s, takes time and money to go to Mexico, I did the ‘500’s. Those kind of ‘1000’s just repeats of the ‘500’s. Then along came 1979 and the ‘1000’ to La Paz. Now that was a big deal. It has been five years since the ‘1000’ went to La Paz. A whole bunch of the drivers like me, had never been. Pre ran, took a plane home. The Bronco and me ready to go. Off down the main Ensenada drag, East then South . Over the mountains, on to Santa Thomas and Camalu. Take my 100 mile break at Catavina to El Crucero . (Willie got lost again) Going south to San Ignacio, hard 90 to west and the 70 mi beach run. About 30 mi. on gravel road, lots of rocks 6-12 in. thrown around, hit sand, hard 90 south. Before the race, Stroppe advice, “Don’t pre run beach, flat as a pancake, if open run in race, but I think its high tide at the time you get there, 1 am., or so will the beach run will be flooded. When you hit the sand go South behind the sand dunes, winding and slow but it will get you to La Purisima.” I got to sand some time, after 1 am. Found trail I had pre run on, headed south. To the East car lights every where, going in circles, in a couple minutes Baker in his Mitsubishi truck jumps in behind me, then, (she told me later) Jean Calvin in her two seat buggie jumps in, soon there is fifteen or so, cars following me, quite a daisy chain. At the end of the beach run, there sits Hall in his Dodge pickup, front end buried in muck. Willie starts laughing at him as we pass close by. Sound travels well on the beach at that time of night. La Purisima, to Constitucion, pretty easy run. Check point, “ You’re number one!” Nobody thought pickups were four wheelers. Less than a 100 mi., like 70 or so to go, fast dusty road, Hall passes me.  I had heard at a checkpoint, Hall had busted his front under axle strap and was very dicey up front. He’s not going top speed now, just enough to stay ahead. I got a plan. I’m going to lay behind him about ¼ mi. Eat his dust, he can’t see me, at about 20 mi. to finish, 90 East  to La Paz  down steep boulder trail,  I’ll get him there, pavement, 1 mi. finish. After about 5 mi, on dusty road , Hall hits the gas and breaks away, I can’t stay with him. After race, Fricker,( Halls home town, Hemet Ca. friend, best co-driver navigator going as well as top mechanic,) “ Rod. kick her in the butt while we can, Pike’s hiding in the weeds, Willie didn’t turn off the overhead lights, I can see them, he’s going to try to get us down that last hill. Hall and Fricker, beats us by 10 minutes after just a little over 24 hrs. of racing. Next morning at hotel, walking behind Hall and Fricker, Pike” What’s wrong with Hall, he’s walking funny?” Fricker, “ When you went by us stuck, he heard what Willie said, then on, wouldn’t stop for nothing, peed his pants, he has dipper rash.”  We’re fourth truck to finish. First truck and  1979 ‘Baja 1000’ overall winner, Walker Evans, Dodge pickup Stroppe team, second, Mears, Jeep pickup, (winner class three, stock 4x4)  second place in class, Hall, Dodge pickup,, third in class, Pikes Stroppe  Bronco .Of the three the only real 4x4. That’s who really won Class three stock 4x4, 1979 ‘ Baja 1000’.  The Bronco beat the next 4x4 to finish ( winner, class 4  modified 4x4) by 5 hours.  Do you really think because a pickup has 4 wheel capability, it’s first and foremost a 4x4 vehicle? Lets talk about it.

First, my take: 1975, Stroppe gets fired from his own company, later Dodge calls. Why? Because Stroppe not building Bronco race cars,  off road and 4x4 s are selling big time, Dodge doesn’t have a vehicle to compete with the Bronco.  How about using our pickup with 4x4 available, to out shine the icon of 4x4s, the Bronco? Put factory money into the SCORE pot, Get SCORE to put our pickup, in the same Class, 3 Stock 4x4, as the Bronco?  Hire the best in the business to build our Dodge pickup into a race truck with,  the best 4x4 driver (Stroppe and Hall), and away we go. If the factories used short bed trucks The public wouldn’t know the difference, that a pickup is not your regular 4x4, (Bronco, Jeep,  I.H.Scout ). They see, ‘winner Class 3 stock 4x4,’ and believe it. There is a class, (very fast,) Class 8, for pickups, where the Dodge and the Jeep pickup belong. In off roading, the basis for speed and travel is the width and length of the vehicle within certain limits.  Take for example the 1979 ‘1000’ overall winner, Walkers Evans Dodge pickup beating everybody. The Bronco wheel base 92 in., the Dodge pickup, 117.5, The Dodge and other pickups in class 3, were two feet wider and longer than Bronco, able to carry engines of over 400 hp. While I barely got 300hp. out of the Broncos’ 302. Pickups smoother and Easier to handle in rough, go a lot faster. How do I know that? I drove the Hall Dodge in eight races for a year.  Some how, After 1975, SCORE deemed that equal. The Bronco had to take quite a few 2nds and 3rds when it deserved 1^st. Here’s another example, just like the 1979 ‘1000’.( Made a mistake in blog, 1979 ‘1000’, Halls’ truck was Dodge, not Ford.) 1982 ‘Mint 400’ , the Class 3,4,8, ran three instead of four laps, making Evans’ Dodge, 1982 ‘Mint 400’ overall winner. 2^nd, Parnelli in Chevy pickup. Third truck to finish, Halls’ Dodge 4x4 pickup, Winner, class ‘3’.  fourth truck to finish, ten minutes behind Hall. Pikes, Bronco, second in class 3. One would think the Bronco was 1^st in class ‘3, a winner. No way! And that’s the way it went after 1975.

1980, worst year ever for me in racing. Why? ‘Pressure to Preform’, I didn’t’ have the ability to sustain the pressure from others to win. When racing, paying your own way, how it was prior to 1980, win or not, I had done my best, and that was enough for me. January 1980, Stroppe calls, wants a meet at his office. He’s sitting at his desk, I’m standing. “Need to talk to you Pike, and it’s important, that’s why I called you into the shop.  I have built Hall a new Dodge truck, better than the old one but not very much, going to run it in class 4 , keep the other in class 3, and I need a driver for it. The fellow that drives it pays for the repair labor, every thing else paid for by me. The driver takes care of pre run and travel expenses, keeps the winnings. He’d have a lot of sponsors. Parnelli and Hall think you are the man, I don’t know. What do you think?” I’m stunned by the offer. Takes a minute. “I’m sure I could do you a good job, thanks for asking.” Stroope, sitting behind his desk looking up at me over his reading glasses, “Okay, we’ll give it a try but one thing you should know, you ain’t no ‘natural’”

And what Stroppe said, is the truth of the matter. Self taught. The truck itself was fast, smooth, fun to drive. It was just me, I over drove it, trying too hard to win. I drove eight races that year. Don’t remember them all. ‘Mint 400’, on test run, engine would quit, told the mechanics, think I have a fuel problem. Their response,” trucks fine, ready to go.” (After race, back in shop, found a piece of duct tape in fuel line) Off starting line, two miles engine, engine starts coughing and sneezing. See a truck run up to me then back off.  Why? Here he came, 60, 70 mph., hit me, took off half the bed, battery, fuel cell okay. (Told later, he lost his company to cocaine.) Silverstein, co-driver, got us going again. That’s how the day went, something would fall off, stop fix it and go again. Around four in the morning, make it to finish line in the speed drome, two ladies and Walt Lott. The ladies clap. Walt, “Glad to see you Pike, now I can shut down and get some sleep. Oops, sorry Pike, eighteen hours, nine minutes, nine minutes late, no finish.”  ‘Baja 500’ bad drive, finish third. Matts’, pal, Bill Dolby, chase car. ‘Barstow 450, win. Not by skill, by attrition, only one left in class. Stroppe gets his two Dodge wins. Hall wins, of course. ‘Baja 1000’, Hall and Pike pre-run, together, (did that when I drove Bronco) Hall, ”See this deep ditch? Be careful, wiped my first Dodge here.”  Didn’t listen, I hit it doing 80, 90 mph. Tore out drive train, (Should have been worse) pits wouldn’t give me another to finish with, saving it for Rod. Who could blame them? Last race of season, ‘Parker 400’, (SCORE changed venue again) Willie co-driver, head mechanic for truck in shop, Pike, “What’s the matter with you Willie,  you didn’t even change windshield or wipers, I can.t see.” Last lap, Pit and Stroppe on Bouse road near highway, Steering box gone, Saved it, close, I think I can back out to road, limp to pits, get another steering box,( third one today) finish. (Would be eight finish in a row at ‘Parker) Made the pit, Stroppe,” I’ll get you another for what ever good it will do.” Pike, “Tell you what, sir, I wouldn’t’ break them if they were fresh, but all you put on my truck are used, off of Halls. Tell you what, (I throw my helmet to Stroppe,) You drive her to the finish, see that cab I’m taking it back to town, going home and calling it a day.” And that was the end of that!

About Willie Stroppe:

Willie worked for his dad. Whatever Bill Stroppe wanted him to do, he did. He rode by myside off and on for about twenty years, starting in 1975 with the ’75 Baja 1000’ win, till about 2005, at the ‘Parump 250’ with the old Dodge pickup, laying on its’ side, 20 mi. from the finish. Can you just imagine riding shotgun to me for all those years in the that right hand seat? I was pretty demanding as a owner/driver. And although I did past on to Willie a few bucks now and then, not nearly enough to make it worth his time. What was I thinking? When Willie and Joel didn’t pre-run their leg of the ‘1000’, why should they? I never offered any financial support and they were working parents Couldn’t afford it and why?  They’d been doing this racing before I showed up, and just maybe not that much fun anymore. Was I cheap or just dumb? I don’t know. I do know Willie did a great job for me, and with the ’75 Baja 1000’ win, put his dad back in business. Thanks Willie Stroppe.         

1981. Had a shop in the ‘Canyon’, the Bronco inside. Brad Stroffer, mechanic, fabricator. Was ‘Scoop, Vessels co- drive/mechanic, ‘Scoop’ not racing. (‘Wide World of Sports’ , show on ,Scoop’ ‘Baja 500’,Posey, announcer, first and last 100 mi. Brad in the middle) , I liked being in the cab of pickup, no more mouthful of dust. Searching I finally find a plastic fiberglass half cab for the bronco. Job, installing it over the roll bars, making it into a real workable cab. The ‘Mint 400’ was up. The cab is on, see how it works. It doesn’t. First silt bed, chopper overhead taking pictures, cab full of silt and dust, can’t breath, left arm out the side, show middle digit, chopper leaves. Half a lap, been going north , hard 90, fast gravel road to ‘moon rock’ run. (Sharp lava rocks). After silt bed took out windshield, single seat goes by. Fast. Throws three cornered ,two inch rock, I watch it coming at me, I forgot no windshield. Wham right in the mouth! Turn Bronco over to Brad, head for hospital. 4 hrs. later. surgeon, new to Vegas, “What a great day, never made so much money, been sewing up guys since early this morning”. As he sticks a Novacane needle into my upper lip, now swollen to about 2x2 in. Talk about hurt. Brad and I decide, no more racing this year. And we were right. As I remember, we spent the rest of that year setting up the suspension softer, stronger, and getting the cab to work.

1982: all that time and effort spent the year before, proved valid. The Bronco had a fine year. That 4^th place truck finish that old $11,000 Bronco pulled off, at the ‘Mint 400’, running with all those $200,000, trucks and pro drivers, was something else. Enough for me. I think the next race was held in Barstow, Ca, 4^th of July, ‘Fireworks 250’, Barstow is the roughest course in the world and the 4, 60mi. laps brutal.  It was also over a 100 & 5 degrees, at the 7pm. Start time. The Bronco was 2^nd. After the illegal Wagoneer axeled C17Jeep. ( If the car owner and driver didn’t think that made the jeep faster than all the other 4x4s, why did they build it? Seems like it also needed the Ford 60 rear end to make work. Take a look at all the old Jeep C17 photos.) No whining, ‘Just the facts Maam’, Sgt. Friday. I had Just finished the race in a little over 8 Hrs. I had put a six pack of Coors on the ice before the race. At the finish line the crew brought me a ‘Miller lite’. (They had drunk all of my beer.) I shouted, “What the hell is this, a lite beer? I’ve just driven the worse course in America, I’m hot, tired, and wring wet, and you bring me a ‘Miller Lite?” (I musta sounded like a commercial.)

The next race was in the fall. the ‘Frontier 500 Vegas to Reno.’ The biggest off-road race run in America to date. It had been like 70yrs. since there had been a point- to- point car race in this country. And Walt Lott managed to pulled it off. Las Vegas to Reno, Nevada, non- stop. If you weren’t there you can’t imagen the hype. The race was sponsored by the Frontier Hotel. ( Original name, ‘The Last Frontier’) TV. cameras every where. The evening before the race, early, I was wandering around the casino when I recognized this guy, (from TV.) Trim, short, curly hair, graying, just won his 2nd. ‘Indy 500’ three months ago, Gordon Johncock, all alone, just hanging out. Lotsa big names around.

 Looking at the course. Staging and starting a Sloan, about 7mi. from the ‘Strip’ on the old LA. to Vegas Highway(91). Early morning, staging took over an hour. A little way from me, Jim Conner, (Running the Datsun mini truck team .) came over, wanted me to meet his drivers. “ Nice to meet you, Mr. Johncock, and you too Mr. Alsop. talking,“ Mr. Johncock, good thing your not running that first part to Beatty, it’s bad, bad silt, I,m going run outside the deep silt ruts, next to the phone poles, close to track, rougher, but better on you and the truck, and it’s legal a few feet next to the trail.” “ Thanks Pike, That’s my run.”

The start: head North thru Good Springs, into the Red Rock Mts. What a beautiful spot, bright red mountains and cliffs, covered with bright green pines, a few scattered homes’ great views of  Vegas and the “Strip” Over that past 50 I’ve had 3 homes in Vegas, I’d had lived here if I had known about it .Down the mountain and into Sandy Valley, by Pop Simons’ (Bonnie and Clyde 400) watermelon fields. Jog South then North along the Ca.-Nev. State line., marked with 3 to 4 ft. high arrow shaped steel posts ever few feet.  Just before Beatty I break an axel, limp to pits. ( I had a bad habit, coming off a jump, foot on break. No-no, foot off break, let Bronco land and roll. While Jamie puts in a new one(1Hr.), I talk to spectators, “Race just gets going and I have to ruin our chance of winning. Sometimes you get tired of soldiering your truck to a finish, but here goes, wish us luck.”  Thru ‘Wild Horse’ country. Next stop Goldfield, just North of town, Alsop (‘Indy’ driver,) dumps Datsun on its head. On to Gabbs, fast gravel road, next to alkaline dry lake. small mining town, down Main Street to pits. Leaving town heading North in 7^th. Place. Down steep concave hill, ahead hard packed gravel road going into mile after mile of 500 foot or more up and down hills. On bottom, starting up first hill lights up hill, 4x4 half way up, by the side of the road. Next hill, same thing, hill after hill same thing. Down on flat fast gravel road to finish, maybe 10 mi. or so, to finish, lights way behind me coming up, no way. The Broncos’ twitching, but those lights back there not going catch me! 4mi. to go, slow car ahead, pass 4x4, Jeep driving with flash light. “They say we won Jaimie.” “No, we didn’t.” “Yes we did.” Sitting at finish line guy, comes up, “ What  kind of engine have you got in that Bronco, didn’t know they were that fast, I was the car behind you, couldn’t catch you.”  Next morning, Jaimie and I having breakfast in Reno coffee shop where we’re staying (Pepper Mill) , Mickey Thompson and wife Trudy, next booth. Mickey (he’s been racing a modified, rear engine jeep against us this year.) leans over, ‘”It’s not so much about getting beaten, but by that old Bronco, That’s embarrassing, for Pete sake get a new truck.” The Bronco was Class 3 Champ that year.

1983: We got to go back 1981 for this year. I’m at Stroppes’ shop. Stroppe,” Come with me to the Dodge factory, we’ll take the hauler and pick three stripped 4x4 Ram Chargers. We’re headed for the ‘East African Safari Rally, got to build three rally cars”.  I helped him get the ‘Chargers back to the shop.  That is the only time I was offered to be one of the three ‘Rally’ drivers. I knew I was to be the ‘Mule’ Ram, could not be happier. ‘Ram One’, Malcom Smith, ‘Ram Two’, Rod Hall. The Mule is the last driver on the team. His job, be prudent, careful, you are the slave car for the two in front of you. What ever parts they need and ‘chase’ doesn’t have, they rape your car. But one of the biggest honors of the rally, is to finish first second and third in class. Job one for the ‘Mule’, be there for parts if needed, job two, finish third. What happened?I

 1981, Chrysler Car Company is broke, going to go BK. The Company board finally calls in the great auto CEO, Lee Iococa, to save the Company.  (look at what he did for Ford, when that company was in deep trouble, the Bronco, the Mustang.) Head Ford, jealous of Lee fame, fired him. He first saves Chysler by getting the government to loan the Company one billion dollars. The Govt. does, congress yells. (Pays back Govt. 30 year loan in seven.) Is responsible for the ‘Mini Van’ and brings back a dead car model ,the convertible. He’s just getting started running the Company, when he hears the Dodge Division is going racing. Are you crazy? What if congress here’s I’m going car racing on their money, the plane tickets to Africa are over $84, 000. Get me out of this deal! Now! Somebody gets hold of some foreign promoter and gets Iococa out of the deal. Without these events, there would have been no Pike Ram Charger off-road race car. Lets’ talk about this promoter and the Ram I was supposed to drive. Being from Europe I guess that’s where he offered the ride in the Ram for sale. If I had known about it I would have bought the ride myself. Never heard. At any rate, this ’Rally Driver’, manage to make it into the race some thirty of the 3500 hundred mile race. Willie told me later, :” We lost the transmission in the shipping on the boat binging it over. BS., CYA.  I think, their mule, being a Europe rally driver, not used to automatic transmissions, early on, into a deep corner, doing high RPM., dump it in to a low gear and spun the blades off the torque converter, ( I did  it one time at ‘Parker, later on, driving the old Dodge pickup.) As I understand, the drum of the auto trans. has blades, to make the tranny more efficient, the blades are removed, reset at a different angle to produce the fluid more efficiently, treated harshly under a load, they can spin off.  I think that’s what happened to my ride. The first time I heard about my no ride, was when Willie called me some two months before the race, My dad said, ” Since you’re not going to be a driver, he like you to drive chase in Africa.” “Thank your dad for the offer, but I can’t leave my business for that much time to do chase.” I already applied and received my FIA License, (rally only) and was waiting to find what shots I need to take.  My guess is, somebody was supposed to let me know about the ride and no one did. Maybe that was the way it was meant to be. My two off road pals , Hall and Jamie Martinez passed with brain disorder. Stroppe got a bug in him, lost twenty pounds, and never was his self again. But I sure wanted to see what Mombasa looked like.

The race was in 1981, by 1982 Malcom Smith had not been paid for his services by the promoter.  He convinced the promoter he wanted to buy his race car.  When Malcom received the car, he kept it. But did not pay for it. Services rendered. !983, I hear about it, thought I could make it into a great off-road race car. I paid Mr. Smith $25,000, for it (engine included).  Mr. Smith called Chrysler to see if I could have the Keith Black engine, ( his engines sold for around $25, 000,) they said yes, and I built the Dodge Ram Charger off-road race truck. It was fun and fast. By 1984 I was in the Ram.  Wider track, longer wheel base , engine pack a lot more horse power ,easier to drive.  I gave the Bronco to my son, Mathew to race.  And he kept the tradition going, a Pike racing the 1973 Ford Bronco and Matt to Christian.     

Mathews’ Bronco Race finishes:

1983:   ‘Barstow 250’--  2^nd     1984   ‘Parker 400’—2^nd

1985---‘Parker 400’—3^rd

1986—  ‘Frontier ‘500’--1st                 Co-Champ class 3         

1987                                                                                                  

(1988--- ‘Baja 500’---    2^nd--- 45 sec.                                      

 (1988-Gale co- driver, makes no need pit stop. Yokohama ‘pit crew’ In chairs drinking beer, tell them, ”You  wouldn’t make a pimple on real pit crews ass.”  Conejo  Jeep  goes by, 20mi. dirt, Matt catches up 15 mi. pavement, can’t pass into on coming, two way traffic to finish.)

 (1986 Co-Champ, Class 3, Adams ties Matt in points, Matt runs 5 races, Adams runs 5 races,  Adams Tied Matt, enters 6^th. No run just entered, 20 points, Sal  Fish, SCORE, makes Adams Champ for not racing. Why not Co-Champ?)

Christian Pike Bronco Race Finishes:

1988—‘Gold Coast 250’—1^st—‘Frontier 500’---2nd

(Went back to school, sciences, discovered cause of one of the great illnesses of our time)

 

                                                                BITS AND PIECES

(1)-Mikes’ Sky Ranch, 10 mi. up mountain from Valle de Trinidad. Trout stream w/fish, winter snow, nice rooms, good     food, pre-run, race check point.

 (2)-1978  member first year, BFG off road racing team at Stroppes’. Tires, pits, etc. My contribution 1988 ‘Mint 400’, no good 2 ply ‘All Terrian’, changed 8 tires 3 jacks, down 7min. each lost 1^st by 10 min. Bob Bower boss BFG.  Matt ran Yokohama.

(3) Yokohama offers Matt $40,000 for ‘78’ hat trick  after he won ‘1000’ in ‘76’, ‘77’, 40mi. to go , Adams by 5min. running on 4cyl.  Christain (chase) tells Matt, slow down, you winner,  co-drive windshield broke can’t see. went off mountain. I asked Yokohama, “Don’t we get something for close?”

(4) Pre running for ‘Baja 500’, off mountain onto flats, end of dry lake, sand dunes. Camp out behind sand dunes. Hear plane. No planes in Baja after dark. Plane lands, guys get out unload stuff (drugs). Hide, if they see us, we’re dead. Plane leaves we leave fast as hell for San Felipe.

(5) Art Carr, transmissions, “ I was at Ojos Negros when you came by in Dodge pickup, didn’t know you was fast.” Nice Complement

                                           BRONCO AT SPEED PIC.

(6) 1981, Hall and I at ‘Mint 400’ sign for pre-run. Hall picks up new program, “look, I’m on cover.” ( Hall won in  ‘Mint’ ‘80’. I say,” Look again, that’s my number on Dodge.” Remember, we both ran the pickups in ’80. I’m back with the half cab Bronco.

(7) 2008, Hall has won 19 “Mints” all other races 20. Sons and I are going to race Ram Charger at ‘Henderson Nev, 250’. One lap each, me last, Bob Bower, (past BFG race head) wants to co-drive me. I pass guy in front last 5mi. He’s on his head. We win. Bob calls Hall, (Hall PR. Guy for BFG, Hummer, others.) “ Want to win 20^th. at ‘Mint, Ask Pike to go in ‘Ram’, you co-drive.”

(8) Pre running  with Willie. El Cinero  to San Felipe, roughest part of race, 2-3 Ft.  deep cross wash every 100 Ft.  for miles. Drive out and back around, can make time, save car. Hard work. Going along, hot afternoon,  then wham! Look up, Rick Mears and Roger, laughing . (Roger races Jeep pick up in my class.) We both stop at ‘Joses’ place north end next to ice plant, San Felipe. Half way finished with shrimp, tell Willie, “Lets get out of here, the Mears boys are finishing their 2^nd ‘Coco Loco.”                                                                                                                                                                        

(9)  Mickey Thompson brought off-road racing into the stadium.  For which he was murdered. In the ‘70s’ after taking over SCORE making the program such a success, and seeing how well Moto-Cross was doing inside, he got the idea, “What about Off- Road cars and trucks? Starting with the Riverside International Race Stadium in So. Cal., he began the venture. The stadium was layed out with a road race course. Mickey took dirt and constructed an off-road around and inside the course. He made a slope on the far side, next to a spectator wall, so stee the right front wheel of the Bronco 6in. or so in the air all way around. The were straightaways jumps and sharp corners. (Stroppe to Pike,”Stop pinching off those corners.” The two day race venue brought the biggest gate the Stadium had ever seen, $20,000 on Sat. and $40,000, $60,000 total. I asked Mickey, “What was drivers share of gate?” he answered “The usual, entry fee and sponsor money.” “No gate?” “No gate.”, he answered. That was my first and last stadium appearance. But it was fun, top of hill, 400 yds, to finish, the Broncos’ right front blew, I finished on three to a standing ovation. Shortly there after the owner of Stadium Moto-Cross calls Thompson to partner up. Later, Moto-Cross boss, “How dumb can Mickey be, not to know I stole $800,000 from Him?” Mick sues, wins, liens four story apartments Moto owns. Mickey and wife, Trudy, live in L. A,  Teasdale Estates. One Morning, Leaving for work, Mick and Trudy are shot and killed by two hoodies on bicycles. It took twenty years but Collen, Mickeys’ sister (mayor of San Juan Capistrano, Ca.), puts Moto, from his broken down trailer in San Clemente Ca., in jail for life.

(10) 1960s’, Stroppe in Hemet Ca. checking out sites to show off the new Ford Broncos’ and what they can do in rough terrain.  Hemet, desert, sand washes, just the ticket. Sitting on hill, looking overland scape sees guy on next ridge in a Jeep. He’s just driving slowly up and down this gravel hills. Looks to Stroppe  that this driver is just checking out the tolerance his Jeep can maintain going slowly up and down  hills and ridges. . He watches him for about an hour, then drives over to talk to this Hemet gas station owner, Rodney Hall.

(11)  My mother-in-law was Italian. She had an advise saying I will spell phonically, ‘may losch la via veccia.’. Which roughly means, “You know the road you’re on now why try the one you know nothing about?” Which is sometimes answered in Italian, “No risk no gain.” Hall and I pre running, would notice an alternate route on course map, Hall,”May losch etc.” But we would take a look.

(12) In 1Oct. 1993 I watch from the airport in Rome my house burn to the ground during the Laguna Beach Ca. fire. (500 homes lost)  with all my trophies, photos, records, etc.

(13) Take a look at all the classes in Off-Road racing to day, 18. 1975, 10. Pay your entrée fee and get a trophy.  It seem to me , and this is just my opinion, SCORE and other promoters did it for the money. And what did they gain? I think their books would show no gain, and now they have turned the racing over to Trophy Trucks. Don’t think you’ll see 100,000 race fans at the ‘Mint’ any more.

((14)  Our 1973 Bronco was probably the most successful off-road 4x4 race car of the era (given the correct finishes) next to ‘Halls Ass’

(15) I drove in my last ‘Baja 1,000’ in 2005. It was by far the roughest ;1000’ ever attempted. How unlike Salavdore  to attempt a contest that was equal to this. It was like the ‘Mint’ for 1,000 mi. My leg was just off the highway that runs West-East from Ensenada to San Felipe. South the 90 West thru the worst wash in all of ‘Baja’. The actress Sandra Bullock was at the pits after seeing her husband, Jesse James off in his trophy truck. I passed him broke.  Lots of guys oohing and aahing about what a looker she is. I feed our crew out of the back of my Escalade I got in 1988.We again had resurrected an old race car to race.  This truck was my old Stroppe Dodge pick up. We went thru the truck pretty good but didn’t do the engine, mistake. My leg was all sand wash. 250 mi. 8 hrs. The engine was not capable of getting me on top of the sand and I had to slug it out in the tracks. Matt had done the first 250, afte my leg, the next 250 to Noah, who hadn’t been to sleep at 10am. Had a tough drive but got it to Matt without a problem. He finished. We were 2^nd. In class ,33hrs. Hall was waiting for us, we beat him by 10min.

(16) 1989 I drove my last race for 10 yrs., the ‘1000’, Then went to my cabin in Montana fly fishing. Drove 500mi.  to El Arco in 2^nd. Been there done that. Over my time off road racing (’1973—2010, I should of  quit sooner) the courses tend to be pretty much the same, whether in USA. or Baja. More people, no new areas. Leaving Bay of LA. Got stuck behind ‘Class 9’ going 50mph. on high speed dusty road, went into ditch twice trying to get by.  Saw Manny,  Stroppe  Mini driver, in ditch. Ashley in new Ford Bronco new Ford Team, too fast. Wins. We were 2^nd.

 (17) Located my Bronco, trying to get it back

(18) Matt found the 1968 Minor and Hall Bronco ‘Baja 1,000’ over all winner, buried in sand, in a junk yard in Barstow Ca. We bought it, refurbished it and donated it to ‘The off-road of Fame’ in Reno Nv. (19

(19)  Oct. 2013, After 47 yrs. lost lease on ‘The Beach House’ restaurant, Laguna Bch. Ca. (Owners wouldn’t sell it to me), June 2013, sold Pikes’ Cafe and Station, Baker Ca., after 70 Yr. run. (7-4-1943—6-13-2013).

(20) Matthew  lives in Kealekua on the big island, Kona, Hi. Has the local bar and café, a couple miles off the beach. Drop in.

(21) Noah lives in Bozeman, Mt., raising a 16 yr. old son.  Says who can and who can’t pay for  4x4 pick up at the local car dealer. Wants to go racing again. Has a blog, The Anonymous Fly Fisherman. Look at it, you won’t believe the size of the trout.

(22) Christian lives I San Juan Capistrano, Ca., (Dr. PHD.) for over 20 yrs. has head the research into deadly brain disease at USC. In LA.

 

What I miss? Having a phone call from my old pal, Rodney Hall, talking about the good old days.            

THE FINISH LINE

 

PS. To fact checkers: My racing span of 65yrs, my off-road spanning 0ver 25 leaves room for error. But I was there.

                                                                          PART 3 BITS & PIECES

(1)There is out there somewhere one unbelievable piece of film footage that shows the great skill of driving that Stan Gilbert possessed. Stan Gilbert, auto car hauler by trade, Stroppe race truck driver on the side. I have seen it twice. Film must be at least thirty years old. It shows the ‘Big Oly’ , in Baja, hitting two wrong way gringo bikers in the middle of a graded gravel road on fire. The bike gas tanks explode in fire covering the ‘Oly’.  Stroppe and Parnelli bailing out . 100 ft. away Stan sees them, turns left, dives off 12 ft. off the road, hits dry bed, charges past the burning ‘Oly’ hangs a right up the embankment onto the road, keeps going. Time? 45.sec. You got to see it to believe it. My guess, a chopper was filming the ‘Oly’. Don’t think Parnelli ever raced Baja again.

(2) When my oldest son was a teenager, I took him on a pre run of the ‘Baja 500’. Day done we stopped to overnight at Mikes Sky Ranch. Roger Mears, Walker Evans, and their crews were already ensconced along with J.M. Bragg. I introduced my son , Matt around to everyone, we had dinner and went to bed. , seems like no one else did! Tough to sleep with a party going on. Next morning, Son and I tired, but want to get going before the heat sets in in the valley, get up at five am.  At breakfast JM. Bragg shows up. Sits down with us. Asks a favor, can We take him with us on our pre-run?  The bunch he’s with is in no hurry, he needs to pre-run and get back home , he has work to do. Heres’ the deal. Parker, last year. California side, ‘Thunder Alley’, a nineteen mile power line hard gravel road, heading East. Me and the Bronco start twitching on that type of road just before 80mph. I’m just going along when Bragg comes up behind me in his jeep. I move over, let him pass, no resistance. You caught me, go. I see you later.  And I did. End of the ‘Alley’ 90 North into rough cross wash, Bronco country. about ten miles from the Ca. finish, and transport to the Az. Side. I catch Bragg.  Now the Bronco is in charge. I know he sees me, but wouldn’t move over, rocks on both sides of course, tap him, no move, hit him, no move, on his bumper for next four miles. Finish Ca. Jump out of Bronco, cussing, threw my helmet at him. Jamie tries to calm me down. Because he leads in Ca., he gets couple extra min. start in Az.  Almost catch up, dust really bad, caught him at rock pile with twenty Mi. to finish, he moves over this time, I win ‘Parker 400’. Bragg looks tired this morning. What the hell , “Bragg, get in.” I took out the pre-run Bronco back  bench, put in center 3^rd. seat. You ride there Matt. We had a good pre-run. Just before we left, I visited each of the rooms of those we left behind, 6am. Sang, in my best high pitched voice, from school in NM., station KGFL ,”Come on you lazy cowboys, rise and shine.”

(3) That run to La Paz will wear a fellow down, After 20hrs. or so of driving things sometimes start to get strange. Going back to the ‘1000’ where Willie forgot to turn off the upper lights and Hall got away, the four of us, Hall and Fricker, Willie and me at the El Arco hotel, Rodney still squirming with dipper rash. We’re telling stories about our trip here.  Hall pops up, ”how’d you like the looks of that sweetheart on the pony?” The three of us looked at him and in unison, “what sweetheart?” “You guys know, that cutie on  the pony wearing nothing but those white panties.” I say “Rod,  you say some gal with nothing on but white panties ridding a pony?  Where?” “Right next to the road in that Sugaro forest about 70 miles from here, Fricker saw her too, didn’t you Jim?” “ Jim, answers “ Rod. I don’t what the hell you’re talking about, I never saw any Mexican cutie on no pony.” “What you mean Jim, you never saw her, I hollard at you about her as we went by. Look at that I said, you musta seen her too.” “Sorry Rod, no way, you must have been having a short nap.” “Oh, come on Jim, I know you saw her, stop kidding me, and you Pike, I know you saw her too, you were right behind me.” “Sorry Rod, I’d liked to seen something like that, but I never Did.” To the last day we talked , Rod  believed he watch that beautiful Mexican cutie, wearing nothing but white panties, ridding that pony, out there in the middle of nowhere.

(4) Jim Fricker

As in any great team there needs to be a kind of adhesive, a glue, to hold things together. The best off road race team ever assembled was that of ‘Stroppe, Hall and Fricker’. That team set the example of what the off road racing was all about. And Jim Fricker was the glue that held the team together’. That pool playing mechanic, from Hemet Ca., tall and skinning, always happy, was the race mechanic ( if Hall broke it he fixed it,) . Advisor to Stroppe about what their truck needed. On the race course a great navigator. At one Barstow race, 4- 60 mi. laps, Last lap.  They lose all forward gears on the last lap. Jim stands up facing the rear in the trucks bed, directing Hall driving backwards. They won the race. Jim Fricker, one of the nicest people I have never known.    

 

(5) The year that the Saturday Start of the ‘Baja 500’, because it rained so hard, It was cancelled. Water in the holding compound running over the Broncos’ floor boards, the race is re scheduled to start tomorrow, Sunday. Bill Stroppe and I are having lunch together at the El Sol Café. Ray Brock stops by, leans over to Stoppe, who asks, “Seen Parnelli?”  “ Yes, Brock answers, just left, (pause)  surrounded by a cast of thousands.” Being that the Bronco has no windshield, and that a lot of mud will be thrown around tomorrow, Stroppe has come up a solution. He took my helmet and a clear welders mask, fixed the mask to my helmet. “That should work.”, he said. Ojos Negros, racing, came up on another truck, and smack, gallon of brown muck hit the mask, almost took my helmet off, can’t see. End of solution.

(6) I was in my office when I get this call from a fellow , who explains he is chief mechanic for this class 3 driver. And that he wants to build his own class 3 and since I’m the class 3 Rep., is calling me for advice about its’ construction.  We spend some time on the phone as I explain the dos’ and don’ts of a class 3 racer car. As we are about to hang up he says, “You know you were second, good by.” Yeah, I knew, I saw his driver go by at last check point with the left rear hub about to come off. Off to the side of the course a paved road. This type of behavior is not unusual. Why? Why? I sure don’t know.

(7) 1989, one era of Broncos and Bronco racers is ending and another is just about to begin. Looks like a great start for the Bronco. New Ford Race team from Stroppe with a new Ford Bronco and a new Bronco racer, David Ashley.  Ashley gives the new team a great sendoff by winning the ‘Baja 1000’  Class 3, in his new Bronco race car. On the other hand, the Pikes had an tough race that day driving the Ram Charger. Matt trying to catch Ashley tore out the Rams break lines and spent a good part of the day repairing them and limping to the finish line. It’s about dark when our team gets back to where we’re staying. The team is getting it’s stuff together to eat and go to bed, when Matt, in a kind of hissy-fit, angry at his own performance that day, lets out, “let’s get the hell out of here and go home!” Ok., why not, we load up and go. Matt is driving my pre- run Charger towing the trailered race Ram. I’ve told him a couple of times to slow down, he’s driving way too fast for these roads towing a car. Up ahead, on the high cliff road I see a big camp fire. We get close and Matt isn’t even slowing down, I yell, ”Stop it’s a road block.”.  He almost runs into the fire.  Here comes two teenage soldiers with Uzis in our faces spiting out some kind of Mexican. I’m scared one of them is going to pull the trigger. Couple of minutes pass, an order is barked, into view comes a twenty something year old looking soldier who seems like he’s an officer. In my face. Pistol waving under my nose, angry, can’t understand him but it looks like “Get out of the car.” I’m trying to explain about us being in this race in terrible Spanish. Racers not drug runners, to no avail. Either he doesn’t understand or he does give a damn. We’re almost into this thing ten minutes, I’m shook, he may shoot us. Our chase team pulls up, one of our guys jumps out and goes up to this officer and in perfect Spanish explains to him what we’re all about and maybe Matt was asleep at the wheel No harm intended. Our guy goes into the back of the chase truck and comes back with two hands full of off-road sticker ads. And that’s what our lives out here were worth, two hands full of stickers. I drove home.

(8) Bet most folks out there didn’t know I used to own part of the “Dusty Times’ newspaper. In the ‘70s’  Dick Sues had started an off-road racing newspaper, called the ‘Dusty Times, I think the first of its kind. It was pretty good informative, pretty well written.  Problem, not enough revenue to sustain publication. Sues came to me for financial aid. “I think your paper is important to the sport of off-roading. Here’s some money, I’ll try to get paid advertisers, give me some type of ownership and we’ll go from there.” Sues came by from time to time, brought new editions, I put funds into checking acct.  Some time later got a copy of ‘Dusty Times’ in mail. I called publisher, who told me I had nothing to do with the paper it was his. OK. So what, the paper is getting published. Never heard from Sues.

(9) There is this great book out there, ‘The Boss Stroppe’, by Tom Madigan written in 1984, used paperback today, about $175. Sometimes in life you get trophies you never expect. I got one from Mr. Madigan. Deanie (shop office), called to see if I could meet Mr. Madigan at Stroppes shop on a certain day? “Sure, Why?” “ some kind of get together”, she said. When I got to the shop there was 15, maybe more, fellows wandering about. I recognized some from newspapers and TV, many great race car drivers from every corner of the sport. NASCAR, Indy, Parnelli was there. Drivers from the Pan American Road Race. Ak Miller, ‘Old Yellow’(his home built race car led the 300SLs in the Pan Am till the last 100, out of gas)  was there. Hall and Fricker were there along with the Hemet gang . Jamie Martinez, was there. Another ‘Indy 500’,( Roger Moore- twice) winner was there. The talk, like, “How you been? Seen Bill?” Not that much about racing. More about Bill. Couple of guys wanted to know who I was. The gist of the get together. Mr. Madigan, (well know author) is writing the life story of ‘The Boss’. He knows these drivers, mechanics that are here and got a lot of their stories about ‘Bill’. More stories are going around the shop about ‘The Boss’, stuff I’d never heard about before, but of course. I’d only been around for 10 years. At the end of the shop a bleacher had been set up. Madigan told everybody where to sit. I was on the top row alone. This was for a photo that was going into his book.  A few months later a copy of that photo, and a signed copy of that book arrived. It sat on my trophy shelve. To be the least, the last driver of importance in that photo was in its self, an honor.

 The Start of Mickey Thompson's SCORE Race Program. February 8th,9th and 10th, 1974.

 

       

      

 

 

(10) Here is the best answer I have for the question,” What is racing all about?” In a word, ‘PASSING’. No matter what type of vehicle, what type of course, it comes down to, ‘passing.’ You come up behind another truck in the race that is ahead of you on the track, whip around him,  pull in front of him, you made the ‘PASS’. It’s just that simple, just that moment, -- That, is racing.

(11) Question, “What does the start of a race feel like, what’s going on thru your mind?” My answer,  “The  summer I was 17, my folks leased out our café in Baker Ca., rented an apartment in Las Vegas, my first summer not working. There was a local swimming pool called ‘Twin Lakes’ where all the teenagers hung out. Being there filled my days. As a kid from Baker, not a great swimmer. I wanted to impress girls. Learned to dive off the low board. Not great but OK. Now for the challenge, the high board. 12-14 ft. in the air. Walked to the edge, looked down, long way to water, adrenalin pumping, dive! The starters’ arm is in the air, green flag dropped, drive!

 

PS.

 During the short span of 30 yrs. (1930-1960) the ‘Old West and the ‘New West’ came together. The era of automobile had arrived. A cross roads became a city and a major shopping center. (taking out a good race course) A turn off became a multi unit service center.(driven by a tall thermometer).  The how and why a Union Pacific Railroad train and engine repair center became the world center for gambling and cavorting. I witnessed most of this over a 20 yr. period (1943-1963) from the vantage point of a roadside café along highway 91, ( which began in 1926, now interstate 15)  that stretched from Long Beach, Ca. to the Canada border. The café and gasoline station, its location, LA. 200 mi. Las Vegas 90 mi. became a stopping point for the movers and shakers of that time. Air travel had not yet arrived. ( unless you liked a DC3. No fun)  Las Vegas hotel owners (4) became my customers. I got to become acquainted with gamblers, ( of which 2  were the most famous of the time) They were movie actors(4) one got his Oscar staying with us. (I also had a motel). There were con men a few some bad actors. I Knew pioneers the that created and made available this passage way (Highway 91 ) from LA. To Vegas and then North, available to the everyday traveler. Off this road are the race courses , ‘Mint 400’ ,‘Fireworks 250’ ‘Vegas to Reno’.              

I have written, over a 3 yr. period, a book of 8 short stories (  250 pgs. ) about my experiences as most of this saga occurred.  A couple of the storis were before me and Baker Cafe. (The First Rest Stop, the ‘LA. Trial of the Decade’ about cops and politicians, the ‘Railway’,) were told to me by those that were there. Nobody else could have written these stories, I was the only one there. The book and a preview  of the stories are on-amazon books  Life at Halfway Junction, book of 8 short stories 242 pgs.--------------------. Give a look.            

Link to Purchase

 

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                                                                   Gale H. Pike