Off-Road Gran Prix at Pomona : Thompson Takes First Checkered Flag

The windup of the 1986 Off-Road Gran Prix series Saturday night at Fairplex Park on the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds was a double victory for the Thompsons.

First, promoter Mickey Thompson’s final race of the season attracted a sellout crowd of 10,134 to the location where his series started several years ago.

Next, Mickey had another reason to be pleased when his son, Danny, drove his Chevrolet to victory in the featured sport truck main event for his first win in the series.

Thompson took the lead at the start of the 10-lap race and appeared headed for an easy victory.

As things turned out, it was anything but easy. For seven laps, Thompson held a comfortable lead over series champion Steve Millen’s Toyota.

However, coming off the last turn on the eighth lap, Thompson got his machine up on two wheels. While he was recovering, Millen closed right up behind him.

Millen stayed close the next lap, but Thompson managed to hold him off to take the checkered flag by about 30 yards. Rod Millen, Steve’s younger brother finished third, with Jeff Huber fourth in a Ford.

In the co-featured VW super 1600 main event, Bellflower’s Brad Castle drove his Raceco buggy to victory. His job became much easier when 17-year-old Rob Gordon, an easy winner in the last race at San Bernardino, had mechanical troubles in his heat race and didn’t start the main event.