Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1538173
M ost sports have some sort of combination of feats that comprise a "Grand Slam." Tennis and golf each take a handful of major tournaments, rank them above the others, and challenge their participants to win 'em all for a grand slam. Even grander than a grand slam is a calendar year slammer, and while many ath - letes have career grand slams, those who have accomplished the deed in a single year are few. Professional tennis lists six singles players who have won the Grand Slam in a single sea - son. In golf, Tiger Woods stands alone in this category. In Pro Motocross, Yamaha rider Bob Hannah was the first and only rider to accomplish the Grand Slam in a single season, winning a 125cc, 250cc and 500cc AMA National. It was a year in which the "Hurricane" was probably the fastest rider in America, and, on at least three occasions, he proved it on three different motorcycles. His quest for the slam be - gan on April 24th, 1977, at the Herman, Nebraska, motocross track. The AMA was in town for a 250cc national. Herman was a fast, dry track, laid out in farm country that had been (and is again today) some of the best corn-raising soil in the state. This would be Hannah's only win on a 250 this season, and he might not have come out on top had it not been for some good luck for him—and bad luck for Can-Am rider Jimmy Ellis. Ellis had nailed the opening moto holeshot and was well on his way to the win when his finicky racer gave up the ghost at the midway point. Hannah would chase down his teammate Rick Burgett for the moto win and repeated his per - formance in the second leg for a sweep on the day. Kent How- erton and Marty Smith joined Hannah on the podium. Jimmy Ellis also repeated his perfor - mance in the second moto, as his Can-Am suffered another breakdown, the team box van departing the pits in frustration before the moto even ended. Six weeks later, the AMA's 125cc series held a round at a rough and tough sand track at Keithsburg, Illinois. Bumpier than the backside of a Stego - saurus, the track would swallow up numerous big names in its deep, naturally forming whoops over the course of the day. Hannah took over the first moto lead from veterans Billy Grossi and Jim Weinert and eventually stretched it out to a 30-second margin at the end. In the second moto, Hannah won with an even greater spread between himself CNIIARCHIVES P140 BY KENT TAYLOR HURRICANE'S GRAND IN 1977, BOB "HURRICANE" HANNAH ACHIEVED THE GRAND SLAM OF MOTOCROSS In 1977, Bob Hannah achieved the Grand Slam of motocross, winning three outdoor nationals in 125cc, 250cc and 500cc.