Legendary Flat Tracker Passes
L
egendary flat-track racer
Bobby Hill passed away, July
12, just four days after celebrat-
ing his 100th birthday.
Born on July 8, 1922, in Tri-
adelphia, West Virginia, Hill didn't
ride his motorcycle until he was
14, in stark contrast to many of
today's racers who race almost
as early as they learn to walk. It
was a few more years still after
that initial ride before he got seri-
ous and started a rapid climb up
the amateur ranks.
That ascension was further
delayed as Hill became a hero
of another sort, enlisting in the
Marine Corps and subsequently
seeing action in World War II in
both China and the Philippines.
Following the war and back
on two wheels, Hill quickly made
up for lost time. A pioneering
racer who helped establish the
groundwork for Progres-
sive American Flat Track in
its current incarnation, Hill
was an original member of
the Indian Wrecking Crew
and the winner of 12 AMA
Nationals.
Hill was crowned the
1951 and 1952 AMA Na-
tional Champion by virtue
of his triumphant perfor-
mances at the Springfield
Mile. He then earned
the eternal distinction as
the first race winner of
the AMA Grand National
Championship series by
reigning supreme at the
1954 Daytona 200.
Along with his fabled
stint with the Indian Wreck-
ing Crew, Hill also com-
peted aboard Harley-Davidsons,
BSAs and Nortons during his
professional career and contin-
ued to contribute to the sport as
an engine builder into the 1960s.
He was inducted into the AMA
Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998.
Hill moved to Grove City, Ohio,
in 1947 and would call the city
his home for the remainder of his
days.
CN
VOLUME 59 ISSUE 30 JULY 26, 2022 P29
ESPN's ESPY award
winner Eli Tomac
was voted in as
this year's Best
Athlete, Men's Action
Sports. He's the
second supercross/
motocross rider to
win the award.
Bobby Hill passed
away just days after
his 100th birthday.
PHOTO: AFT
