Pat Hennen

Who is Pat Hennen?

Pat Hennen is an American former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He is best known for being the first American to win a 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle road race when he won the 1976 Finnish Grand Prix.

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. 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. He was also the top point scorer at the 1978 Trans-Atlantic Match Races, scoring three wins, two seconds and a third. Hennen also won the New Zealand Marlboro series for three consecutive years riding Suzuki TR500, TR750 and RG500 machines. The Marlboro Series was run over five seasons, of which he won three.

Hennen's career was cut short when he crashed while competing in the 1978 Isle of Man TT. He had just recorded the first sub-twenty minute lap in TT history when he struck a kerb at 150 m.p.h. There was a suggestion at the time that he had struck a bird although this is now considered to be nothing other than unfounded rumour. 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.