Feds Give Nod To Barstow-To-Vegas Race
Feds give nod to Barstow-to-Vegas race
ROUNDUP
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has given formal approval to the establishment of a Barstow, California, to Las Vegas, Nevada, motorcycle race course.
The approval apparently clears the way for future runnings of the famed Barstow-to-Vegas off-road race.
The race was banned in 1975 by the BLM, which said it was concerned that the offroad bikes were damaging the desert environment. The ban of the 10-year-old race prompted annual protest rides, led by the self-proclaimed Phantom Duck of the Desert.
In granting permission for the running of the 1983 desert race, the BLM said surveys had determined that the event had little effect on the environment. The 1 50mile-long race uses existing roads and trails as a course.
The 1983 Barstow-toVegas race, which will occur on the traditional Thanksgiving weekend, will be run under conditions specified by the BLM. Those conditions include a 1200rider limit and a stipulation that costs of environmental monitoring be paid by the local district of the American Motorcyclist Association, the promoter.
