Pat Hennen, the first American rider to win a 500cc Grand Prix and the first person to achieve a lap time under 20 minutes on the Isle of Man TT course, has died.
Hennen took his first victory at the 1976 Finnish GP in Imatra and became teammate of double world champion Barry Sheene in the official Suzuki team. He became one of the main contenders for the world championship title, with three wins and 12 podiums in just 17 races – including victory in the first ever British Grand Prix in 1977. He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycling Hall of Fame in 2007.
Hennen set his impressive lap time at the Isle of Man TT in 1978 aboard a 500cc Suzuki in the Senior TT. Unfortunately, an accident at around 273.5 km/h later in the same race ended his career, and he suffered a traumatic brain injury in the incident.
Before the accident, Hennen and Kenny Roberts Senior were separated by just one point at the top of the world championship standings, with Roberts becoming the first American to win the 500cc world championship.
All the sympathies of the Motorcycle Sports team are with Pat’s family at this difficult time.