Terry Tenette

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Terry Tenette (b. August 10, 1968 in Palo Alto, California USA) is a former professional "Old/Mid School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1989-1998.

His nickname "Mr. T" is an allusion to the alliteration of his given and family name, both starting with the letter "T". It is also an incidental reference to the American actor with the stage name "Mr. T" who played a character on the popular 1980s American television show "The A-Team" Sgt. Bosco "B.A." Baracus.

Contents

[edit] Racing career

Note: All first in Pro Class are on the national level unless otherwise noted.

Started Racing: July 24, 1978 Introduced to the sport by a friend named Greg Hill. NOT the BMX racer but a childhood friend. Mr. Tennette raced at the Fred Watson Park track in San Jose, California[1]

Sanctioning Body:

First race result: First place in 9 novice.

First win (local): See above.

First sponsor: Jack's Cyclery; Woodside Bicycle Shop.

First national win:

Turned professional: November 1987 Age 19.

First Professional race result: First place in "A" pro at the 1987 American Bicycle Association (ABA) Grand Nationals on November 29 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.[2] He won US$800.[3] He also won Pro Cruiser, winning US$330 and came in sixth in Pro Open, winning US$150.

First Professional win: See above:

First Junior Pro* race result: See above

First Junior Pro win: See above

First Senior Pro** race result: First in "AA" pro at the ABA Gilley's National in Pasadena, Texas on March 26, 1988. He won US$700. He also won "AA" pro the next day, winning US$875.[4]

First Senior Pro win: See above.

Retired:

Height & weight at height of career (1994-1998): Ht: Wt: lbs.

*In the NBL "B"/Superclass/"A" pro depending on the era; in the ABA "A" pro. **In the NBL "A"/"Elite Men" pro; in the ABA "AA" pro.

[edit] Career factory and major bike shop sponsors

Note: This listing only denotes the racer's primary sponsors. At any given time a racer could have numerous co-sponsors.

[edit] Amateur

  • Boss Racing Frames: January 1984-December 1984
  • CW (Custom Works) Racing: January 1985-June 1985
  • U.S. Boss Racing Products: June 1985-December 1986. Boss had changed their name slightly since the last time Terry Tenette was on their team.
  • GT (Gary Turner) Racing: December 28, 1986-early August 1987. Terry Tenette was removed from the GT factory team for drug use after he was caught with marijuana and drug paraphernalia.[5] He was previously given a warning a month prior after GT detected a problem but he apparently disregarded the warning and was subsequently released from the team after being caught with the controlled substance. Terry Tenette stated that he was being made a scapegoat for five other racers. Fellow Senior pro Kevin Hull was sent home from the team on suspicion and apparently on guilt by association alone since he and Tenette often were off together. Hull demanded and received a polygraph test. He passed and was allowed to rejoin the GT team in time for the IBMXF World Championships in Orlando, Florida held on the weekend of August 8.[6] The various factory team sponsors were taking a vigorous zero tolerance policies particularly ever since the revelations of Ronnie Anderson's admitted 10 year drug habit as he revealed in quotes in the December 8, 1986 issue of Sports Illustrated[7] [8] and rumors and accusations of anabolic steroid use by top pro racer Pete Loncarevich[9] which were never substantiated. Auburn BMX racer Danny Millwee would also be fired for marijuana use in late 1988.[10] GT's spokesman Shawn Buckley made this statement about Tenette's dismissal (excerpt):

"This is a clean sport with a good reputation. Drugs are not a major problem in BMX, but if we let this kind of thing go on, it could become one."[11]

--Shawn Buckley BMX Plus! November 1987.

In a later interview with BMX Action Terry Tenette made this statement:

"I just think GT blew it 'cause I think they could've used me as an example to sell more bikes, like they do in baseball. They could've played it off. They could've kept me in there and let people know that there was a problem, they've solved it, and now look what they've done--like, 'GT! We're an example.' Instead, they threw me out in the street, like 'We don't need you! Beat it!'"[12]

--Terry Tenette BMX Action August 1988.

Other than alleging that what GT did was unlawful search and seizure Terry at this stage and time never denied GT's allegations against him.[13] Also during this time when his time was free he worked at a hospital counseling teenagers with drug and alcohol problems.[14]

  • MCS (Moto Cross Specialties) Bicycle Specialties:[15] Mid August 1987-August 1988. Tenette was added to the MCS racing team two weeks after he was fired from GT.[16] Tenette would turn pro with this sponsor.

[edit] Professional

  • MCS (Moto Cross Specialties) Bicycles: Mid August 1987-August 1988. In August 1988 MCS joined with Eagle Snacks to form a combined race team.
  • MCS (Moto Cross Specialties) Bicycles/Eagle Snacks: August 1988-November 1988. MCS claimed that it fired Terry Tenette because of a "bad attitude". Tenette claims he had quit, went on strike as it were, pending a better offer from MCS for his services.[17] Lawrence Rybko, the owner of MCS said they "...couldn't come to terms." for a new contract.[18]
  • Peddle Power (bicycle shop): November 1988-December 1988
  • Vans (Van Doren Rubber Company): Late December 1988-November 1989. Vans has not yet merged with the MCS team after Eagle Snacks reduced its BMX race effort.
  • Vans (Van Doren Rubber Company)/MCS (Moto Cross Specialties) Bicycles: November 1989-December 1990 The Vans and MCS race teams merged at the end of 1989. By the end of 1990 Eagle Snacks dropped out of the BMX scene.
  • Vans (Van Doren Rubber Company): January 1991- Vans and MCS separated after the 1990 racing season.
  • X-treme: 1995
  • Atlas Bike Company/Ox: 2001
  • Psykopath: 2006

[edit] Career bicycle motocross titles

[edit] Amateur

National Bicycle Association (NBA)


National Bicycle League (NBL)


American Bicycle Association (ABA)

  • None

United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)

  • None

International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)

  • None

[edit] Professional

National Bicycle Association (NBA)

  • None

National Bicycle League (NBL)

  • 1990, 1991, 1992 National No.1 Pro.

American Bicycle Association (ABA)

  • 1993 National No.1 Pro Criuser.

United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)

  • None

International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)

  • None

Pro Series Championships


[edit] Notable accolades

  • He was named number one of BMX Action magazine's The Terrible Ten of 1987 of top amateurs and future pros.[19]
  • He is the winner of the 1989 BMX Plus! "Racer Of The Year" award with 15.8% of the vote out of 6,517 cast.[20] He won Honda NX125 street legal motocross motocycle.
  • Terry Tenette was the first pro racer to win the Senior Pro 20" class three consecutive times: 1990,'91 & '92 in the National Bicycle League "A" Pro (Elite Men) class. Brent Patterson did it priorly in the NBL Pro Cruiser class in 1981,'82 & '83 and Cheri Elliott in the ABA's girls amateur 20" division in 1983,'84 & '85. Other racers have done it and exceeded it in other classes since but Terry Tenette was still the only one to have done it in 20" Men's Senior Pro in any sanctioning body until 2006. John Purse came close to matching it in 1997 in the NBL after winning in 1995 and 1996. He was leading the points totals going into the 1997 NBL Grand Nationals by one point over Christophe LeVeque. A crash in the semi-finals ended John Purse pursuit of a "three-peat".[21] However, 14 years after Terry set the record, current top pro 20" racer Bubba Harris who won the national pro 20" number one title with the ABA in 2004 and 2005 has equaled Terry's record by winning the ABA National No.1 plate on November 26, 2006 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He can make it four in a row breaking Tenette's record if he takes the 20" AA pro title again in either the ABA or NBL racing circuit in 2007 and becomes the first to quadruple with any sanctioning body. Terry still retains the distinction of being the only one who has done it three consecutive times with the NBL.

[edit] Significant injuries

[edit] Peccadilloes

[edit] Post BMX career

[edit] BMX magazine covers

Bicycle Motocross News:

  • None

Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:

Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:

BMX Plus!:

Bicycles and Dirt:

Snap:

[edit] BMX press magazine interviews and articles

  • "Terry Tenette & Trademarks" BMX Action August 1988 Vol.13 No.8 pg.40
  • "Terry Tenette" BMX Plus! June 1989 Vol.12 No.6 pg.36 His Racer of the Year interview.
  • "N.C.B: Nor Cal Boys" BMX Action August 1989 Vol.14 No.8 pg.23 Joint article with Cecil Johns.
  • "BMX Plus! RAP" BMX Plus! January 1991 Vol.14 No.1 pg.26 A short interview with Terry Tenette.
  • "Terry "Mr. T" Tenette: NBL's #1 Pro!" BMX Plus! December 1991 Vol.14 No.12 pg.37 A short blurb interview with the 1991 No.1 pro.
  • "Vans' Grand Slam! Taking a stand on BMX!" BMX Plus! April 1992 Vol.15 No.4 pg.35 Interviews with Tenette and his teammates Pete Loncarevich, Steve Veltman and Racer/Team manager Everette Rosecrans.

[edit] Miscellaneous

Like fellow BMX racer Pete Loncarevich, Mr. Tenette had an heavy interest in body building, and was often pictured displaying his physique in BMX publications.[22][23]

[edit] End Notes

  1. ^ BMX Plus! June 1989 Vol.12 No.6 pg.36
  2. ^ Super BMX & Freestyle March 1988 Vol.15 No.3 pg.15
  3. ^ BMX Plus! March 1988 Vol. No.3 pg.63
  4. ^ BMX Plus! July 1988 Vol.11 No.7 pg.30
  5. ^ Super BMX & Freestyle November 1987 Vol.14 No.11 pg.8
  6. ^ BMX Action December 1987 Vol.12 No.12 pg.8 "We're Not Gonna Take It"
  7. ^ Sports Illustrated December 8, 1986 Vol.65 No.25 pg.36
  8. ^ Super BMX & Freestyle August 1987 Vol.14 No.8 pg.5
  9. ^ BMX Action December 1987 Vol.12 No.12 pg.18 "The Steroid Controversy"
  10. ^ BMX Plus! February 1989 Vol.12 No.2 pg.7
  11. ^ BMX Plus! November 1987 Vol.10 No.11 pg.14
  12. ^ BMX Action August 1988 Vol.13 No.8 pg.42
  13. ^ BMX Action August 1988 Vol.13 No.8 pg.40
  14. ^ BMX Plus! June 1989 Vol.12 No.6 pg.8
  15. ^ BMX Plus! September 1988 Vol.11 No.9 pg.28
  16. ^ BMX Action December 1987 Vol.12 No.12 pg.8 "We're Not Gonna Take It"
  17. ^ BMX Action February 1989 Vol.14 No.2 pg.12&13
  18. ^ BMX Plus! February 1989 Vol.12 No.2 pg.7
  19. ^ BMX Action August 1987 Vol.12 No.8 pg.38
  20. ^ BMX Plus! June 1989 Vol.12 No.6 pg.34
  21. ^ BMX Plus! December 1997 Vol.20 No.12 pg.46
  22. ^ BMX Plus! January 1991 Vol.14 No.1 pg.26 illustration
  23. ^ BMX Plus! November 1991 Vol.14 No.11 pg.8 illustration

[edit] External links

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