Where Are They Now: Dennis Hawthorne
January 26, 2007 9:27am
“Nothing compares to motocross. The camaraderie between fellow racers and friends and the sense of accomplishment is like nothing else.” These are the words of Texas-born motocrosser Dennis Hawthorne.
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Hawthorne didn’t follow the stereotypical road to the top. His mantle is not full of trophies from Ponca City and Loretta Lynn’s; instead, he has won more races in Texas than probably any rider in the state’s history. Texas has produced some amazing riders throughout the years. We never get to hear much about them because they never stray far from home. Riders like Clay Cawthorne, Dale Storbeck, Ross Dhyer, Jack Ricks, and Tim Hodes had what it took to become top pros, buy they just never fought their way out of the Texas region. Dennis was an exception.
When he entered the 1984 GNC Finals at Lake Whitney, he was racing ‘83 Yamahas but still managing to hold his own at the front of the pro classes. This caught the eye of Texas entrepreneur Dick McCarthy, who took a vested interest in young Hawthorne. When he asked the feisty Texan why he was racing on old bikes, Dennis replied, “Because that’s what I have.” Soon, McCarthy introduced Dennis to his business associate, Sammy White, who owned one of the larger motorcycle dealerships in Texas. This is where the ball really began to roll for Hawthorne.
In addition to his regional support he had from Sammy White Kawasaki, Dennis picked up a Team Green ride in 1984. In 1985, Mike Kidd started his arenacross series, and Dennis immediately took a liking to it. In fact, he would go on to become the young sport’s first superstar, and he would accumulate five consecutive championships. It was only the beginning of his big-time pro career, as Dennis would soon turn his attention to the AMA Motocross Nationals.
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With Kawasaki dropping their contingency for the outdoor nationals in 1988, Dennis could not afford to contest them anymore. He would return to the place that had been so good to him. The races he won and the rides he put in during this time are still stuff of Texas legend. Every year a hot new guy would show up at the GNC Finals at Lake Whitney, and every year most of them would go back with their tails between their legs. Hawthorne would line up on the far inside gate and cut through the gears on his rocketship LCS Kawasaki faster than everyone else. In almost every Expert moto, you would see a guy with all-white Answer gear standing tall on the pegs in a two-tire drift with a gigantic holeshot. Damon Bradshaw, Ryan Hughes, and Mike Kiedrowski have all eaten roost thrown from Hawthorn’es rear tire.
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He was faced with one of the most haunting questions a 30-something motocross racer with a family can ever endure. “What now?” Just when it appeared all of the light had left the tunnel, he received a phone call from Team Green managers Mark Johnson and Ron Heben. They needed a Team Green technician in the Texas area and called upon Hawthorne to fill the position. He did a great job in this role and was soon offered a district salesman position in the Wisconsin area. Staring a real career in the face, he loaded up his family and spent the next four years in Wisconsin. Then, in 2004, a position opened up in Oklahoma, and the idea of returning to a living environment that was “closer to the Red River” seemed appealing. So Dennis once again loaded up wife Teri, son Kevin, and daughter Stacy and drove to their current residence in Oklahoma.
Today Dennis is celebrating ten years with KMC (Kawasaki Motor Corp) and spends his free time riding with Kevin and sending checks to Tracy, as she goes to school at Oklahoma University. Kevin Hawthorne will attempt to qualify for the 2007 Air Nautiques/AMA Amateur National Championships at Loretta Lynn's.
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