- Pat Hennen
Infobox Former Grand Prix motorcycle rider
Caption = Pat Hennen at theDaytona 200 (1976)
Name = Pat Hennen
Nationality = flagicon|United StatesUnited States
Years = 1976 - 1978
Teams =Suzuki
Races = 17
Championships = 0
Wins = 3
Podiums = 12
Points = 164
Poles = 0
Fastest laps = 0
First race = 1976 500cc Nations Grand Prix
First win = 1976 500cc Finnish Grand Prix
Last win = 1978 500cc Spanish Grand Prix
Last race = 1978 500cc Nations Grand PrixPat Hennen (born
April 27 ,1953 inPhoenix, Arizona ) was an American Grand Prixmotorcycle roadracer. He is remembered for being the first American to win a 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle race when he won the 1976 Finnish Grand Prix cite news | url=http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2004/apr/onthisweek5.htm | title=On This Week in Racing History: April 16 | publisher=SuperbikePlanet.com | accessdate=2008-03-03] .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. 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 cite news | url=http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2007/Nov/071121ia3.htm | title=Mission Accomplished: Hennen in The Hall of Fame | publisher=SuperbikePlanet.com | accessdate=2007-11-22] . He had just recorded the first sub-twenty minute lap in TT history when he struck a bird at approximately 150 mph cite news | url=http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/news/2007/HOFinduction.asp | title=2007 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony | publisher=MotorcycleMuseum.org | accessdate=2007-11-22] . 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 resides in California and was inducted into the AMA
Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2007.
=Grand Prix career statistics cite news | url=http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Pat+Hennen | title=Rider Statistics - Pat Hennen | publisher=MotoGP.com | accessdate=2008-09-03] =References
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