Bob Hannah, 1980

Wandell
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Wandell
Edited Date/Time 1/15/2018 8:03pm
It was 1980 when I got my first motorcycle and Bob Hannah was the biggest star in MX/SX. As I started buying Dirt Bike and MXA magazines, I discovered that the sports biggest superstar was sidelined with a broken leg. I was under the impression that Hannah missed the entire 1980 season. I remember 1980 was still a great season of racing. Mark Barnett finally beat Broc Glover for the 125cc title while Kent Howerton won the 250cc title and Chuck Sun gave Honda the 500cc crown. I remember Mike Bell winning the Supercross title also. It was decades later that a DVD rental from Netflix on the 1980 serious uncovered something I never knew. Apparantly Hannah raced one or two of the final rounds of the Supercross season! I later discovered through some pics and Vital that Hannah apparently also raced the 1980 Trans AMA series! I know Hannah was injured while waterskiing with Marty Tripes at the end of the 1979 season. Apparently it happened shortly after the season ended. Does anyone know any of the specifics or results Hannah had in 1980?
Here are a couple of pics that I've saved over the years. A couple things stand out. Hannah is no longer wearing JT Racing gear. He's wearing Griffs pants and you can see a HRP logo front and center on his Bell Moto III (where a DG logo was normally), right between his trademark lightning bolts. You can also see his bike displays 1981 graphics. I gather that he was in the process of starting his own gear company which he wore during the 1981 season.


Hannah65 by Wandell Asbell, on Flickr



Hannah101TransAMA by Wandell Asbell, on Flickr
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AHRMA361
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AHRMA361 1/2/2018 7:01pm
1/2/2018 7:01pm
I bought a HRP Flak Jacket when it first came out!
Wandell
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Wandell 1/2/2018 7:11pm
1/2/2018 7:11pm
LOL. So did I!! But in a couple of the pics I have, Hannah appears to still be using a JT Racing chest protecter. Apparantly the Flak Jak wasn't developed yet.



Hannah98 by Wandell Asbell, on Flickr
Wandell
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Wandell 1/2/2018 8:09pm
1/2/2018 8:09pm Edited Date/Time 1/2/2018 8:15pm
The race I saw may have been the last round of the series. I remember he was not running up front and I seem to remember the announcers saying it may have been his first race back from the broken leg. Hannah may have even had a DNF in that race. Remember, back then the Supercross and Nationals were really spread out. I guess Supercross wasn't as specialized so maybe no one thought it was a big deal to race a National MX round one weekend and a SX the next. I wish the RX Vault listed the Trans AMA series!

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Sully
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Sully 1/2/2018 8:39pm
1/2/2018 8:39pm Edited Date/Time 1/2/2018 8:41pm
Wandell wrote:
The race I saw may have been the last round of the series. I remember he was not running up front and I seem to remember...
The race I saw may have been the last round of the series. I remember he was not running up front and I seem to remember the announcers saying it may have been his first race back from the broken leg. Hannah may have even had a DNF in that race. Remember, back then the Supercross and Nationals were really spread out. I guess Supercross wasn't as specialized so maybe no one thought it was a big deal to race a National MX round one weekend and a SX the next. I wish the RX Vault listed the Trans AMA series!
The last SX race of the 1980 season was San Diego in late October. I was there, but I don't remember if Hannah raced or not (I was only 8). A DNF would definitely explain him not scoring any points though. I just can't see a healthy (or even semi-healthy) Hannah not even scoring a single point.

What was the DVD you rented? I'd love to try and find it.
TG130
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TG130 1/2/2018 9:48pm
1/2/2018 9:48pm
Just got done watching the 1980 San Diego SX. Hannah did race this event and finished 2nd in his heat race behind Chuck Sun. He was never a factor in the main and he either DNF'd or finished outside the top 20.

The announcer did mention that this was his first race of the year. They also mentioned that there were 25 riders in the main event.
Wandell
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Wandell 1/2/2018 9:57pm
1/2/2018 9:57pm Edited Date/Time 1/2/2018 9:59pm
Great! Well the 1980 SX question is answered. While googling this, I discovered that in 1980 the Trans AMA series was apparently renamed the Trans USA series. I also found a You Tube video by a guy named David Lack who apparently was a photographer who attended the event. Basically he posted a slide show of some pics he took at the 1980 Trans USA Road Atlanta round. There are a few pics of Hannah that are similar to the ones I posted in regards to riding gear.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVw0WNlq7HU
Wandell
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Wandell 1/2/2018 10:02pm
1/2/2018 10:02pm Edited Date/Time 1/2/2018 10:05pm
Here are some more pics apparently taken during the 1980 Trans USA series. Note that his Yamaha is still using the original Monoshock suspension with the triangle shaped swingarm. When the 1981 Supercross season started, the OW works Yamaha's were using a linkage setup similar the the 1982 production YZ's.


Hannah95 by Wandell Asbell, on Flickr


Hannah3 by Wandell Asbell, on Flickr
TG130
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TG130 1/2/2018 10:12pm
1/2/2018 10:12pm
Wandell wrote:
The race I saw may have been the last round of the series. I remember he was not running up front and I seem to remember...
The race I saw may have been the last round of the series. I remember he was not running up front and I seem to remember the announcers saying it may have been his first race back from the broken leg. Hannah may have even had a DNF in that race. Remember, back then the Supercross and Nationals were really spread out. I guess Supercross wasn't as specialized so maybe no one thought it was a big deal to race a National MX round one weekend and a SX the next. I wish the RX Vault listed the Trans AMA series!
Sully wrote:
The last SX race of the 1980 season was San Diego in late October. I was there, but I don't remember if Hannah raced or not...
The last SX race of the 1980 season was San Diego in late October. I was there, but I don't remember if Hannah raced or not (I was only 8). A DNF would definitely explain him not scoring any points though. I just can't see a healthy (or even semi-healthy) Hannah not even scoring a single point.

What was the DVD you rented? I'd love to try and find it.
My copy was originally a VHS tape set called "On Two Wheels" which was sold by Motovideo over 20 years ago. I transferred to DVD several years ago.




Sully
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Sully 1/2/2018 10:41pm
1/2/2018 10:41pm
TG130 wrote:
My copy was originally a VHS tape set called "On Two Wheels" which was sold by Motovideo over 20 years ago. I transferred to DVD several...
My copy was originally a VHS tape set called "On Two Wheels" which was sold by Motovideo over 20 years ago. I transferred to DVD several years ago.




I think I've seen that. Guess I need to do some YouTube checking tonight to try and find it again.

This is why I like this part of the forum so much. It's like a trip through history.
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Wandell 1/3/2018 4:19pm
1/3/2018 4:19pm
Great information. I guess this is also when Hannah had left JT Racing and was starting his own company. You can see the HRP logo on his helmet but the jersey only says Yamaha as far as I can see. By the time the 1981 Supercross season rolled around, the HRP gear was ready to go.


Hannah31 by Wandell Asbell, on Flickr


Hannah127 by Wandell Asbell, on Flickr
Wandell
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Wandell 1/5/2018 7:33am
1/5/2018 7:33am
I also seem to remember a magazine add that featured Hannah in a full leg cast. Does anyone have a picture of that or remember it. I know his broken leg was pretty severe, and with the medical care at the time his comeback is even more amazing.
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Wandell 1/7/2018 5:42pm
1/7/2018 5:42pm Edited Date/Time 1/7/2018 5:45pm
Notice in that HRP ad that Hannah is riding what appears to be a 1980 YZ250 with his new gear. But in the pics I posted from the 1980 SX and Trans USA races his factory OW250 has 1981 graphics (all but 1) so apparently the 81 YZ's had already been released. Just odd that they didn't take the HRP ad pics with a factory bike or a 1981 YZ.
ruy
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ruy 1/15/2018 8:03pm
1/15/2018 8:03pm


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