This Week in Yamaha History: Hurricane Warning in Dallas
Thursday, February 16, 2012 | 9:30 AM
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Any rider who is making big money in Monster Energy Supercross has Bob “Hurricane” Hannah to thank. Really, anyone who is making any kind of money at all working in this industry should thank him, too. This sport would not be where it is if not for Hannah’s exploits in the 1970s. He played the role as the first supercross superstar to perfection, and launched the popularity of stadium racing into a climb that hasn’t stopped since.
The Hurricane first touched down in earnest in 1977, when Bob scored the first two wins of the season in Atlanta and Daytona. Veterans Jimmy Ellis and Tony DiStefano then reeled victories to keep Hannah in sight, but at round five in Dallas, Hannah won again, launching a three-race win streak to signal a changing of the guard in the sport. He’d go on to win the next three supercross titles, and probably would have garnered more if not for a freak waterskiing accident that knocked him out of the 1980 season.
With this year’s tour rolling into Dallas, it’s a fitting time to salute the Hurricane’s first win in town, which took place in '77 while riding a YZ250. And that’s this week in Yamaha Supercross History!
Hannah in '77
Photo from the Dick Miller archives
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Bob Hannah changed my life forever back in the late 70's after I attended my first local mx as a spectator. My bedroom walls were plastered with pics and posters of the Hurricane. After a lackluster "live" first impression at Red Bud in 82 (on the overweight and slow works 125) he really blew me away at the St.Louis national in 83!!! Such Intensity! It was insane how he rode that day.
Alot of people have different things to say regarding the hurricane, but to me he always called it like he saw it,and he (used to) always had time for his fans.
Every rider currently reeling off boring podium speeches (that's you RV, et al) need to go back and listen to a few from Bob. The guy threw it down, both on the track and off it. He hated other riders and wasn't shy about saying it, or that he wanted to kill them, or that they were weak, etc.
It wasn't just that Bob punished them on the track that was great, it was that he punished them off the track too.
Long live the Hurricane!
There had been other charactors in motocross, but Hannah, young and brash talking trash and backing it up, a mototcross Ali. You either loved or hated him. Same with his riding style, never smooth, but wide open, holding nothing back. Off the track a fan and media darling, always a quote, Hannah had that onery twinkle in his eye and could weave a tale that would even make Mark Twain or Will Rogers jealous. He is and was a true MOTOCROSS STAR!!!!!!! Thanks for the memories Bob!!!!
@ rg "Every rider currently reeling off boring podium speeches (that's you RV, et al) need to go back and listen to a few from Bob. The guy threw it down, both on the track and off it. He hated other riders and wasn't shy about saying it, or that he wanted to kill them, or that they were weak, etc"
Then he would grab a trophy girl and put big, long, wet kiss on her. No way that would happen now…
Yes Bob was the original wild child and Victory Machine ie: my Avitar. I was licky enough to chat with him a few times after one race at Lake Whitney My friend and I hollered at him, he was walking to the scoring tower he hopped in my van and we had a couple of Buds and benched raced for a bit, Then he saw Keit mcarthy (sp) and we had to move the van so that so he did not see where Bob had come vrom that was funny! The lat time I saw him was at the mud race at the Unnidilla Trophy Des. I had not saw him for quite a while and he regonized me and the beer thing at Whitney.
Welker did you see him climb the Whitney Hill with Saviski on back, they tried it on johns 250 and when they couldnt do it, Bob sent John back to get Hannah's 490, then up that big ass hill they went ...after they rode down it ....Hannah stood on the sit and climbed it again as 50 or so of us stood and watched ...it was after a Trans Am race in 78 or 79 ..little foggy on the year
I saw Bob race many times, mostly at Unadilla. You had to keep a close eye on him just to see how he stayed on the bike while blasting through the rough stuff.
He was equally entertaining on the podium and with fans after the races. Bob sure did have a way with the trophy girls and female fans. Putting the trophy girl on his shoulders - backwards, autographing female body parts. Crazy stuff that I can't imagine happening today. Guess that is the price you pay when the sport grows and there is more media coverage.
Great memories - glad to have been around the sport back then.
Can you imagine what it would have been like to have message boards- tweets- and you tubes back when HurricaneHannah was at full swing? - I probably would have been a registered Hantard.
Hannah in my opinion:
75% Riding Talent
200% Desire
200% Work Ethic
Not scared of anyone
May have taught Earnhardt how to intimidate other drives/riders.Or vise versa.
Or just grind them into the ground with physical conditioing
Fastest Cornering Speed of Anyone I have seen.
Wide Open kept Hannah from crashing=two gyros=crankshaft and rear wheel
Actually he crashed about 8 times per national-just never hit the ground.
Smelled blood.
Win at all costs-hell with titles
Knew how to ride 45 minute motos on 100 degree days.
Changed lines 4 to 5 times in the same corner, in the same moto. Course they didn't take out bumps between motos like they do now.
Liked the old grass Unadilla, wonder what he thinks of the new Unadilla
Good Memories
Watched Glover setting someone up at the St. Joe , Missouri national. There was about two foot between Glover and the snowfence on a fast straight. Hannah passed them both at the same time. Both were on Yamaha. Wish I could have been in the pits after that moto. This was the same national Magoo pulled the holeshot and then jumped into a flagman coming out of a cavity. Pulled off the track while leading the national and ran back to see how the flagger was.
Had a full cooler in the mid eighties at the Wheatridge Colorado National and Hannah spotted us in the pits after the race. Jo Jo Keller was laying on top a rental car roof, Decoster was there, and of course Hannah hamming it up. The only time I could ever say I gave Hannah , Keller, and Decoster a beer. Actually Decoster 1 and Hannah and Keller quite a few.
Yes the guys did like to party!! Stackable had a pot leaf on his helmet,lol, the races were sponsered by cigertte and beer company, in a move to clean things up and become more professional in the land of being "PC", we gave all that up for our tv exposure. That and some guy came in and suddenly training was a must, the RC era had began..... Ahhh the old days, take your cooler full of beer, stand by the fence and cheer for your favorite rider.. then afterwards he might have a cold one with ya.....AAAHHHH suddenly I feel old.....
Hannah and the Florida Winter Series at Gatorback - WOW what a Race !
motorhead620 - You said everything word for word that I wanted to say. My walls were and still are covered with Hannah posters. I was also at '82 Red Bud and '83 St. Louis (Man he kicked ass that day), but the first time I saw him race was the '81 Red Bud Trans USA race. Been a die hard fan for most of my life.
I've had two heros in my entire life. 1 was Greg Lemond for the way he destroyed Fignon in 89, the other was Bob Hannah for the way he kicked ass every day.
Glory Days, I guess but going to the races was more fun. You could walk up to most any rider you were a fan of , walk around the pits. I guess later on some things started to be stolen and the beginning of the end of open pits. Even if Hannah were racing today I think he would be standing outside the gate signing autographs or just shooting the bull.
If you were another rider leading, the definition of fear was seeing your pitboard say "Hannah coming -12" , next lap "-8" , next lap "-4". You knew he was coming. UGH.
I must've been 11 or so when I watched Hannah win the first Atlanta Superbowl of Motocross. A local sportscaster named Steve Somers said on television that the goalpost jump looked easy and he got called on it. The whole stadium was roaring as he wadded it over the jump. Can't remember if it was that year or the next that Doug Domokos rode a wheelie around the track. Man, Hannah was God back then, but I rode an RM80 so tried to be like DeCoster, whatever that meant...
@xray, I know exactly what ya mean, I rode RM's back in 76-77-78,,,125/250's. I hated anyone on a yamaha becouse of Bob!!!!.i.e. (keith bowen amatuer days) It wasnt till later that I appreciated Hurricane". Seen Bob, Roger, Marty smith, Tripes, all them back in 78? 79? red bud, Mud race, DeCoster holeshotted, but then a restart 2wice....pouring rain. Bob sold some Yamahas thats for sure. I couldnt ride one lol,
@CZrider - excellent post.