Pat Hennen

Pat Hennen (* April 27, 1953 in Phoenix, Arizona, United States) is a former American professional motorcycle racer.

Hens began his career at dirt track racing in North Carolina. His success earned him a place in the Suzuki factory team, which contested the race for the Motorcycle World Championship. Hennen was the first American to win a Grand Prix race in the class up to 500 cm ²: He won in 1976 the Grand Prix of Finland and finished this year in third place overall.

The following year, in 1977, won hens in the Grand Prix of Great Britain and was again third in the overall standings. He also won in three consecutive years, the New Zealand Marlboro Series (1974 /75 1975/76 1976 /77) on different Suzukimodellen.

In 1978, hens won a third victory in a Grand Prix race in Jarama (Spain). However, his promising career ended in the same year. For his participation in the Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man, he was the first to finish a round in less than twenty minutes; but after he collided at a speed of about 240 km / h with a bird. In the fall, he suffered severe head injuries. Hens could after years of convalescence gradually recover from these injuries, but was no longer able to continue his career. Pat Hennen was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame of the American Motorcyclist Association in 2007 and now lives (2008) in California.

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