I wanted to take a few minutes on this post and explain how important it is to unite as one power. The ISA was developed by a group of 7 off road enthusiasts. From the introduction the ISA looked to be focused on racing and rules related to racing. But in fact the ISA's goal is to focus and be the voice of all and any UTV related issue from land use, regulations, rules and events. But the issue the ISA is facing is membership or lack of. Without a solid member base the ISA holds no power. Below is a brief intro to who Jeff Knoll is. Please take a moment and really think about what this sport means to you. Its easy to sit back and type your complaints but are you willing to be part of the solution?
Jeff Knoll the (elected president) of the ISA.
Side Bar Since 1974 when I started off-roading we have seen 50% of the available riding opportunities in the California Desert shrink to only 12.5% today because of land closures, and wilderness
In 1999 I attended the Warn rock crawling championships in Johnson Valley. I loved the idea of competing, but I hated the format, and my brother and I sat on a rock in the wind of JV and hashed out what we thought would be a better way to race in the rocks. CRCA or the California Rock Crawlers Association was born. We held 9 events over three years before I pulled the plug because of market saturation. CRCA gave birth to what would later become the King of the Hammers
6 Years ago I met Dave Cole and we devised the King of the Hammers race. 5 years later we have produced 4 feature films, multiple TV shows for Spike, Speed, and the Outdoor channel plus expanded into a national racing series. The KOH race event attracts 15,000 people for an entire week in Johnson Valley.
In March of this year I sold my interest in Hammerking Productions to focus on new opportunities with my business Carrera Performance Group Inc. Among my clients, the Off Road Business Association (ORBA) finds me working on a number of land use issues. I am currently serving on the BLM SRP subcommittee to help write a new Permit policy for the California Desert District.
I Raced Jeepspeed for three years, BITD Class 3000, and held a position on both Roger Norman's and Alan Pflueger's TT teams. I wrote the first set of rules for BITD's Class 3000, and the Rule book for Ultra4 racing, and the BITD 4400 class.
Off roading is not just a Hobby for me, it is a lifestyle choice. I find almost as much joy in planning an event as I do participating. My kids have grown up in the backseat of Jeeps sharing priceless memories. My hope is that others will be able to enjoy off-roading as much as I have, and that is a big attraction to the UTV industry for me. UTV's are an affordable easy to drive vehicle that leaves a small environmental footprint. They offer reasonably priced racing opportunities, and they are fuel-efficient.
Therefore, that gives you some insight into who I am and what I am all about. I hope that you will trust I have the best interest of building a legacy we can all be proud to be a part of with the ISA, and I am convinced the founders are all just as interested in laying a solid foundation that can be built upon.
If you have any questions about the direction of the ISA please reach out to me and I will make every effort to address any concerns, ideas, or complaints. I encourage anyone interested to take the plunge in serving the OHV community, and help us build a long lasting Association for the UTV industry.
Thanks for letting me introduce myself, I hope to meet you out on the track, or on a trail somewhere.