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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRichardson\u2019s own Bill Allen, as Cru Jones, leads the charge in this iconic BMX race scene from the 1986 cult classic Rad, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary with special ‘Rad Day’ screenings across the Dallas area on March 24. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Utopia Distribution<\/p>\n
If you grew up in the 1980s, you likely remember the distinct whir of a VHS tape rewinding<\/a>. Sitting on the living room floor, thumb hovering over the pause button, you studied every frame of flatland tricks and massive air jumps in the 1986 BMX coming-of-age drama Rad. Then, you ran outside to launch your bike off rickety ramps built from stolen neighborhood construction wood. And if you had a special someone, maybe you even tried to find a steep, grassy hill to recreate the legendary \u201cass-sliding\u201d scene. <\/p>\n For countless kids, that was the magic of Rad. Directed by Smokey and the Bandit legend Hal Needham and propelled by a gnarly soundtrack, the film carved a permanent tire track into \u201880s pop culture.<\/p>\n At the center of it all was Cru Jones, the underdog hero played by Bill Allen. As Rad celebrates its 40th anniversary, Allen looks back at the film\u2019s massive legacy and how growing up in Richardson shaped the grit and creative identity he brought to the screen.<\/p>\n Not Exactly Riding Around Richardson<\/p>\n Before he was popping wheelies in Hollywood, Allen was just a North Texas kid navigating the heavy expectations of the Bible Belt. He grew up right at the corner of Belt Line Road and Weatherred Drive, walking to Heights Elementary before heading off to Richardson High School<\/a> \u2014 a school that also counts actress Morgan Fairchild among its illustrious alumni.<\/p>\n Allen\u2019s rise was as unlikely and dazzling as any of Cru\u2019s biggest tricks. He lost an older brother as a young teen, a moment that shifted his perspective and nudged him toward the healing power of performance.<\/p>\n \u201cThank God I found the arts,\u201d he says, crediting that early heartbreak with inspiring him to pursue acting and music. Before he knew it, he was sharing scenes with Tab Hunter, George Clooney and Jos\u00e9 Ferrer in 1982\u2019s And They\u2019re Off, quickly adjusting to a life he never expected as a movie star.<\/p>\n Of course, Richardson seems to have a knack for producing luminaries.<\/a> Allen jokes to the Observer, \u201cImagine, two guys from the same little corner of the planet: myself and Lance Armstrong<\/a>. One is an international, legitimate bike icon, and the other one is Lance Armstrong.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n That sense of hometown pride \u2014 and the ability to laugh at himself \u2014 reflects the unique spirit Allen carried with him from North Texas to the big screen.<\/p>\n \u201cMostly you\u2019re either into football or music growing up in Texas,\u201d Allen says. \u201cI was too little for football and wanted no part of the Friday Night Lights atmosphere<\/a> that was so pervasive. I just kind of gravitated towards the music and became a fan of area artists like Stevie [Ray Vaughan], Bugs Henderson and Anson Funderburgh.\u201d<\/p>\n But Allen\u2019s story is not only about music and movies. It\u2019s also about a restless search for belonging and authenticity.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t realize what it means to be Texan until you go somewhere else,\u201d he says. \u201cComing from that part of the country, you just have an attitude. It\u2019s like explaining water to a fish. You\u2019re surrounded by it. You don\u2019t know anything else. And then when you go to other places, there\u2019s not that kind of Texas pride or pride of ownership of who you are as a human being and what you have to offer. There\u2019s a certain grit that comes with that. It\u2019s just so much a part of my being. I can\u2019t imagine myself without it.\u201d<\/p>\n That grit translated perfectly to the character of Cru Jones, a determined underdog racing against corporate-sponsored pros on the hellish BMX battlefield known as Helltrack. Ironically, the man who became an international BMX icon wasn\u2019t even allowed a bicycle as a child.<\/p>\n \u201cMy parents thought it was dangerous because [the bikes] were Stingrays, and they were dangerous,\u201d Allen laughs. \u201cWhat it did to me was make me go, \u2018I want to be the guy on the bike. I need this.\u2019 And now I\u2019m among the most celebrated BMXers on the planet. Is it fair? Nope. I can do about two tricks with a gun to my head. But that\u2019s just the power of Hollywood.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking Back on A Legacy<\/p>\n To pull off Rad\u2019s jaw-dropping stunts, director Hal Needham brought in the best BMX riders in the world, including Eddie Fiola, Allen\u2019s primary double. The seamless transitions between Allen\u2019s acting and Fiola soaring through the sky stand as a tribute to practical movie magic. Needham even left real, unplanned wipeouts in the final cut, paying homage to the unpredictability and danger of real BMX riding.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPeople don\u2019t want to believe that actors are just acting and that there\u2019s not an actor out there in action movies that doesn\u2019t have stunt doubles,\u201d Allen says. \u201cBut since I\u2019m only known as Cru Jones, for some reason, people think I\u2019m actually that guy. And you know what? That\u2019s fun, too.\u201d<\/p>\n And it\u2019s not just the stunts or scenery that fans remember; it\u2019s that unmistakable \u201880s spirit. The joy of boogying with Lori Loughlin\u2019s character<\/a> to Real Life\u2019s \u201cSend Me an Angel,\u201d or bracing for the finish line with John Farnham\u2019s \u201cThunder in Your Heart,\u201d are the moments that etched Rad into the hearts of a generation. The film provided every BMX-loving kid with not just a hero, but also the belief that an outsider from anywhere \u2014 even Richardson \u2014 could take on the world and win.<\/p>\n Four decades later, Rad is more than just a cult classic. It is a time capsule of pure, unadulterated joy. It reminds us of a time when a kid with a bike and a dream could conquer the world. For Allen, looking back from the vantage point of his 60s, the film represents the wild, dreamlike journey from the quiet streets of Richardson to the glowing heights of Hollywood. His story, like Cru\u2019s, is one of reinvention, resilience and never letting go of where you came from.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BillAllen_80s_UtopiaDistribution.jpg\")
Olympic gold medalist Bart Conner (left) shares a moment with Richardson\u2019s Bill Allen on set. <\/p>\n