Cycle News Staff | April 10, 2018
The Trailblazers MC met for their 74th Annual Trailblazers Banquet on April 7, 2018.
This year the Trailblazers MC honored Tom White, Chuck Miller, Dennis Kanegae, Bruce Flanders, Debbie Evans-Leavitt, Kel Carruthers, and Scott Autrey. We have the videos for each of the Trailblazers award recipients in the order that they were presented at the banquet.
Videos narrated by Dave Despain and produced by Pipeline Digital Media.
Trailblazers 2018 Inductee | Scott Autrey
Scott Autrey is a motorcycle speedway champion who moved to Europe in the early 1970s to race and vie for a World Championship. He raced for many teams during his career and finally realizing his dream by winning the Speedway Team World Championship in 1982.
Trailblazers 2018 Inductee | Kel Carruthers
Kel Carruthers is a legendary motorcycle road racer and team manager. He won the 1969 World Championships and then went on to work as tuner and team manager for Yamaha’s Kenny Roberts.
Trailblazers 2018 Inductee | Debbie Evans-Leavitt
Debbie Evans-Leavitt is known as “The Queen of Trials”. She was one of the first national and internationally known trials riders. She was a factory Yamaha rider and is famous for doing a headstand on a balancing motorcycle. She went on to be and continues to be a successful stunt woman in Hollywood appearing in dozens of tv shows, movies, commercials, etc. She has won numerous Taurus Awards for her stunts. She is married to 3-time National Trials Champion, Lane Leavitt.
Trailblazers 2018 Inductee | Bruce Flanders
Bruce Flanders is a legendary motorsports announcer who has announced all forms of motorsports beginning with his favorite speedway motorcycles. He has announced for AMA, Nascar, IMSA, NHRA, CART, IRL and many others.
Trailblazers 2018 Inductee | Dennis Kanegae
Dennis Kanegae is a legendary flattrack racer and motorcycle advertising executive. He started racing a Honda CL72 Scrambler and moved up to Bultacos, Triumphs and Nortons racing at Ascot Raceway against the likes of Kenny Roberts, Gary Scott, Tom Horton, Keith Mashburn and more. He became an advertising executive for Yamaha, Honda, FMF, Oakley and more. Today is owns Ninefiftyone Marketing going advertising for Honda Motorcycle Dealers.
Trailblazers 2018 Inductee | Chuck Miller
Chuck Miller is a legendary off-road and baja racer. He has been a factory racer for Yamaha and Honda. Chuck won two gold medals at the ISDT and has won numerous desert races in Baja, Mexico. He went on to be a factory mechanic and team manager for Honda becoming Honda’s Racing Team’s Manager.
Trailblazers 2018 Dick Hammer Award Recipient | Tom White
The Dick Hammer Award, the club’s highest honor for one with the drive, determination and desire to succeed in motorcycling and in life, went to Tom White, who passed away from cancer in 2017. Trailblazers President Don Emde brought the White-Anderson Family up on stage to present them with the Dick Hammer Award on Tom’s behalf.
