Bob Hannah

Robert William Hannah (born September 26, 1956) is an American former professional motocross racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1975 to 1989, most notably as a member of the Yamaha factory racing team. He was one of the most successful motocross racers in AMA history, with 70 AMA race victories and seven championships.

Hannah was a brash and outspoken personality whose wild riding style, seemingly on the verge of losing control and often with his feet off the foot pegs, earned him the nickname, "Hurricane Hannah". His physical fitness, fierce determination on the race track and a hatred of losing, reshaped American motocross by boosting the speed and competition to higher levels. In his next race, Hannah finished fourth. It would take several months before he won another event. Hannah worked as a welder, saving his money for six months before he could afford to purchase the Husqvarna.

Hannah’s hard work and training soon began to pay dividends over the spring and summer of 1975. At one point, he won 18 straight races in ten days by competing in two classes at each event. It wasn't long before Hannah caught the attention of Suzuki who brought a $700-a-month offer to test and race small displacement works-bikes.

Team Yamaha and motocross dominance

In late 1975, Yamaha, having lost veterans to other teams, offered Hannah a contract. Hannah took the unsigned $1,000-a-month offer to Suzuki hoping that they would match it.

Hannah began his rookie year by dominating the 500cc Florida Winter-AMA series, which was one of the most prestigious American motocross series of the era. In winning all five events, he became the first rider to sweep the series, inspiring Cycle News editor and contributor Jim Gianatsis to popularize the nickname “the Hurricane” for Hannah.

Hannah had an equally impressive start to the 1976 AMA 125cc motocross season by winning the first race at Hangtown against Honda's defending National Champion, Marty Smith who had been favored to win his third consecutive National Championship. Hannah suffered a bad start in the first heat race, but put in an extremely impressive performance by passing almost the entire field of competitors to catch and then pass the race leader Smith. He was also a member of the American team at both the Motocross des Nations and Trophée des Nations. However, Team USA fared poorly with Hannah himself remarking later that “I don't remember a single damn thing about those two races.”

While successfully chasing the 1976 125cc title, Hannah had sporadically raced in both 250cc and 500cc displacement classes, even winning his first 250cc National at Appalachian Highlands Motorsports Park. He won the AMA Supercross Championship in impressive fashion, taking six of the 10 rounds. The move by the AMA combined with the enormity of competing in so many races contributed to Hannah being a non-factor in the 250cc series, finishing overall in seventh place. Hannah won more motos than any other competitor in the series including De Coster, however, he didn't score points in two rounds due to mechanical failures allowing De Coster to win his fourth consecutive Trans-AMA title. Hannah chose to race in the 250cc class for which he would mostly compete for the remainder of his professional career. After underperforming in the first three rounds of the Supercross series, Hannah reeled off six consecutive victories and ran away with the championship. Hannah's victory at the Trans-AMA marked the end of the series as a confrontation between the best European and American motocross racers. Hannah let Mikkola know that he (Hannah) was going to win the event. Mikkola replied, “Let's see if you ride as good as you talk.”

Water-skiing accident and troubles with Yamaha

Hannah's 1979 campaign was nothing less than a continuation of his prior year dominance. He won his third consecutive AMA Supercross series title and successfully defended his outdoor 250cc National title by earning victories in six of the 10 events. Doctors initially told Hannah he would never be able to race again. He was forced to sit out the entire 1980 Supercross and outdoor series while recuperating. During his recovery, he developed an interest in flying airplanes, and earned his pilot license. Hannah also raced in the Trans-USA series (formerly Trans-AMA) and finished a respectable third place despite admitting that he had poor timing with the motorcycle and was out of shape from the layoff.

The year 1981 would not be the comeback for which Hannah would have hoped. Although he took his third Winter-AMA series title, he was only able to win one Supercross event and finished the series fifth overall. For the Trans-USA series, Hannah was again unable to find winning form and finishing tied for fourth.

If 1981 was a difficult year for Hannah, 1982 may have been the lowest point his career. For the Supercross series, he finished ninth winning only one round. It would be Hannah's last year racing for the Yamaha factory team. Hannah blamed the motorcycles, and Yamaha blamed Hannah for not winning. By mutual agreement, the year remaining on his contract was dissolved. Hannah was back on 250cc machines and wasted no time making a statement that he was still on his game. He started the season by winning the CMC Golden State series over David Bailey, Broc Glover and Ricky Johnson. His success continued on the AMA circuits. Both Supercross and National titles were his for the taking as he won five of the first 11 stadium events and six of eight 250cc Nationals and was leading both series going into a Supercross event in Orlando, Florida. Prior to the event, Hannah was asked to check the track before it opened to competitors. In negotiating a jump, he fell and injured both his left wrist and leg. The injury to his wrist proved to be significant and Hannah was forced to abandon competing in the remaining Supercross events, during which he was surpassed by both David Bailey and Mark Barnett for the Supercross title. His competitors started referring to him as “Brittle Bob” as he accumulated more injuries and missed more events. Hannah finished the season in tenth place for both Supercross and Nationals, his worst showing as a full-time competitor. He finished 11th overall although he did become the first three-time winner of the Daytona Supercross, the last of his 27 stadium wins. Over the next several years, he raced infrequently at AMA and Grand Prix events to the delight of his fans. And there were still the occasional magical moments. After years of bad luck and frustration at Unadilla Valley Sports Center, Hannah won the 1986 U.S. Grand Prix Championship when Johnny O’Mara ran out of gas on the last lap of the second moto allowing Hannah, then in second place, to slip by him for the victory.

In 1987, Hannah was selected to Team USA at the Motocross Des Nations, held for the first time in the U.S. It was a controversial pick for team manager Roger DeCoster. DeCoster had passed over two-time 125cc National Champion Micky Dymond in favor of Hannah who was well past his prime and had not competitively raced a 125cc displacement bike since 1982. But the track at Unadilla favored Hannah and he was motivated to prove wrong those critical of his selection. On race day, the weather was awful with rain turning the track into mud and ruts. At one point in the first moto, Hannah could not get up a slippery hill and had to turn around and go to the bottom and start over. In the second moto, he scored a top ten start and rode to a first place in the 125 class. Along with Jeff Ward in the 500cc class and Ricky Johnson on the 250cc, Hannah and Team USA captured the title in one of the most memorable Motocross Des Nations. Ready for retirement, Hannah later said “When I rode my last lap at Unadilla I was talking to myself. I said, I have one more lap to go and I never have to ride one of these again.”

In his fifteen-year professional motocross career, Hannah had become the all-time win leader in AMA history, having won 64 Supercross and National races, along with six Trans-AMA events during his career. His 70 AMA win record would stand until Jeremy McGrath broke Hannah's overall win record in 1999.

Later career After leaving motocross, Hannah took up the sport of airplane racing in the unlimited class flying airplanes such as the P-51 Mustang. When inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999, Hannah was living near Boise, Idaho, running a sport aviation sales company and winery. In 2000, he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

Career highlights

1976 500cc Florida Winter-AMA Champion 1976 125cc National Champion 1977 250cc Florida Winter-AMA Champion 1977 250cc Supercross Champion 1978 250cc Supercross Champion 1978 250cc National Champion 1978 500cc Trans-AMA Champion 1979 250cc Supercross Champion 1979 250cc National Champion 1981 250cc Florida Winter-AMA Champion 1983 250cc CMC Golden State Champion 1986 250cc Florida Winter-AMA Champion 1986 250cc U.S. Grand Prix Champion 1987 Motocross des Nations "Team USA" World Champions 1988 250cc Florida Winter-AMA Champion