Pat Hennen

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Pat Hennen

Pat Hennen at the Daytona 200 (1976)
Nationality Flag of the United States United States

Grand Prix motorcycle racing career
Active years 1976 - 1978
Teams Suzuki
Grands Prix 17
Championships 0
Wins 3
Podium finishes    12
Career points 164
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0
First Grand Prix 1976 500cc Nations Grand Prix
First win 1976 500cc Finnish Grand Prix
Last win 1978 500cc Spanish Grand Prix
Last Grand Prix 1978 500cc Nations Grand Prix

Pat Hennen (born April 27, 1953 in Phoenix, Arizona) was an American Grand Prix motorcycle roadracer. Hennen began his career racing in dirt track events in Northern California, where his family had moved when he was young. He was successful enough to earn a place on the Suzuki factory Grand Prix racing team and became the first American to win a 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle race, winning the 1976 Finnish Grand Prix[1].

Hennen finished third in the 1976 500cc roadracing World Championship. The following year, he would again finish third in the World Championship and won the 1977 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Hennen also won the New Zealand Marlboro series for three consecutive years (1974-75 ,1975-76 and 1976-77) riding Suzuki TR500, TR750 and RG500 machines. The Marlboro Series was run over five seasons, of which he won three.

Unfortunately, Hennen's promising career was cut short when he crashed while competing in the 1978 Isle of Man TT[2]. He had just recorded the first sub-twenty minute lap in TT history when he struck a bird at approximately 150 mph[3]. The subsequent crash caused severe head injuries from which Hennen was able to recover over time, but the lasting effects of the crash forced his retirement from racing.

Hennen currently lives in California and in 2007, was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

[edit] Grand Prix career statistics [4]

Season Class Motorcycle Race Win Podium Pole FLap Pts Plcd
1976 500cc Suzuki RG500 5 1 3 0 0 46 3rd
1977 500cc Suzuki RG500 8 1 5 0 0 67 3rd
1978 500cc Suzuki RG500 4 1 4 0 0 51 6th
Total 17 3 12 0 0 164

[edit] References

  1. ^ "On This Week in Racing History: April 16", SuperbikePlanet.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-03. 
  2. ^ "Mission Accomplished: Hennen in The Hall of Fame", SuperbikePlanet.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-22. 
  3. ^ "2007 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony", MotorcycleMuseum.org. Retrieved on 2007-11-22. 
  4. ^ "Rider Statistics - Pat Hennen", MotoGP.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-21. 

[edit] External links