Photo: Smudge 9000 / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)

Pat Hennen

パット・ヘネン　/　ぱっと・へねん

American motorcycle racer

April 27, 1953 – April 7, 2024　・　Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Arizona
motorcycle racer

My Take

Pat Hennen earns my lasting respect as a genuine trailblazer. By becoming the first American to win a 500cc World Championship Grand Prix at the 1976 Finnish round, he effectively opened the door for the American golden era that followed. A Phoenix native who climbed through AMA dirt track and road racing before reaching the world stage, he raced in an era when the sport demanded everything. His 2007 induction into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame feels like overdue recognition. Hennen, who passed in 2024, reminds me that legends rarely start the legend themselves; someone has to be first, and he was.

Overview

Pat Hennen (April 27, 1953 – April 6, 2024) was an American professional motorcycle racer. He competed in AMA dirt track and road racing competitions from 1971 to 1975 and in the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1976 to 1978. Hennen is notable for being the first American to win a 500 cc World Championship Grand Prix race when he won the 1976 500cc Finnish Grand Prix.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

1. Profile

Name (English): Pat Hennen
Name (Japanese): パット・ヘネン
Reading: ぱっと・へねん
Born: April 27, 1953 – April 7, 2024
Zodiac / Chinese zodiac: Taurus / Snake
Origin: Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Blood type: Private
Height: Private
Agency: Private
Occupation: motorcycle racer

2. Background

Elementary school: Private
Junior high: Private
High school: Private
University: Private

Awards & achievements

2007 Motorcycle Hall of Fame

3. Relationships

Spouse: Private
Children: Private
Parents: Private
Siblings: Private

4. Personality

Motto

Private

6. Links

Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%91%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E3%83%BB%E3%83%98%E3%83%8D%E3%83%B3

Motorcycle racer — see all →　·　More people from United States →