Finally, Hanny?
Monday, January 17, 2011 | 7:10 PM
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PrintJosh Hansen is back. Again. Yet another last chance, and this time he’s making good on it, taking the first two rounds of AMA Supercross Lites West on his Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki, a follow up to taking the Australian Monster Energy Super X title in December. It’s early in the season, but Hansen has every right to now start thinking about an AMA Supercross Lites Championship, instead of just finding a ride.
Hansen has been here before. A Yamaha-backed rider in the amateur ranks, he broke into supercross with Yamaha of Troy for a few years, before signing with Red Bull KTM back in 2005. There, he very nearly won the Lites East Championship, and by very nearly, we mean actually tied for the title in points. But Grant Langston scored the crown via the most-wins-that-season tie breaker. Hanny then struggled with a back injury in 2006, and soon the downward spiral began.
He took a shot at 450s with the inaugural Joe Gibbs Racing squad on Yamahas, and struggled so badly that he and the team parted ways halfway through the season. He had a shot with Hart and Huntington in supercross, and a shot with Troy Lee and some other teams for races like the X Games and the Moto X World Championships. It never worked out for long, even after he won gold at the 2008 X Games. At one point, Hanny was out of a ride altogether, until an Australian team called him to ride some motocross in the summer of ’08.
Hansen lived in a barn down there, and got away from the California rat race. After this rejuvination, his old friend Mitch Payton then offered him a KX450F for the ’09 X Games, and Hanny delivered a gold medal. He returned to AMA Supercross on Payton’s Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki team last year. With his considerable talent, lessons learned, and a superb team backing him, 2009 could have been the year that Hansen finally delivered on all of his promise.
He did—kind of. He won the Salt Lake City race and took sixth in points. It was just enough for him to hang on to his Pro Circuit ride for another year. Finally this year, he’s winning races in bunches, the way he could have so many years ago.
“I’m just trying to take it one race at a time,” said Hansen from inside the Pro Circuit truck, while the team celebrated his Phoenix win. “I’m just enjoying what I’m doing. I’m really trying to turn my whole life around. I’m trying to do stuff differently, and I think it’s been working out. But it’s one of those things where I don’t want to get too happy, because I don’t want to let my guard down. I want to keep doing what I need to do, and keep moving forward. Building every weekend is my goal, and as long as I do that, I should stay in the right position.”
Make no mistake, Hansen has always looked good on a bike.
Cudby photo
Last year Hansen says he wasn’t quite mentally prepared for the opportunity Payton had given him. Over the summer, with his sixth in points behind him, he explained it: “I was riding well and going fast, but I had a mental block. After two years of having such horrible seasons, even though I had all the backing from Mitch, I needed to know that I deserved to be there. Mitch and I sat down and talked. He told me good things happen to good people, and that I had become a better person. If I was willing to go through the pain during the week, I deserved to win on the weekend.”
Even more impressive is the way he’s going about grabbing these wins. At both Anaheim and Phoenix, he waited patiently behind his new teammate Broc Tickle, and then pounced. At Anaheim he made a pass, and at Phoenix, he inherited the lead when Tickle crashed.
Hanny is glad to have another shot.
Cudby photo
“Yeah tonight I didn’t get a great start or whatever, I was like fourth, and I knew on this track you couldn’t make up a lot of time,” he said. “So I knew when I got into second, and Tickle was ahead, it was going to be hard to break him down. But I just wanted to be smart. I was breaking him down a little bit, but I would have waited until the last lap to make a move if I was going to make a move. But I didn’t need to step that part up, he went down, and it ended up working out for me. But I have great teammates, too, and I’m stoked for them, and especially Monster Energy Pro Circuit and Kawasaki. I’m so thankful for them to give me the opportunity, and to show that, what they believe in, is for me to go out there and do things like this.”
On the outside, Hansen looks like the same guy he was last year—well, maybe he has a few more tattoos, and maybe his hair is even longer. But something seems different about his approach to racing.
“Last year, I was just as fast as I am now," he says. "But I was definitely impatient. Speed wise I’ve always been pretty good, and I feel like I still have that, but now I’m mentally strong. And I’ve also got fitness, that’s pretty big for me. So hopefully I can just keep this going, keep doing the right things”
So far, so good.
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Sandbagger
Keep it tight Josh! Hard times make hard people, and you can use that. You don't have to prove anything - just show them the luck that can be created with hard, painful work...
there is no such thing as a pro sandbagger, there are winners and chasers
Yeah i cant stand the Hanny haters! The man deserves respect, changing your life is not the easiest thing in the world and this man has came through! He was an incredible amateur and promising young pro back in the early part of last decade and I am stoked to see him living up to his potential. After this, I think he'll be a contender in the 450s H&H take him back?
word is that he's already looking at 450 deals for next year with the Taco Bell/ Sportsman Warehouse/ IHOP Cannondale team.
Sandbagger! He should be on a 450 at his age imo. I don't think winning the Aussie SX Championship is any big deal. Win the 450 SX title here and then we have something to talk about.
How is he a sandbagger? Was Nathan Ramsey a sandbagger or Mike Brown oh how about Steve Lamson??? You remember they all went back down to the 125s Fact of the matter is he never pointed out of the class so he is as legal as the rookies out there! Get over it
how come everyone was so eager to see JLAW come back after jail time and all of his ingnorant antics? I have nothing but respect for Hanny and I hope he sweeps the west lites and Mitch hooks him up with a dialed 450 deal for next year. He deserves it. Now if we would just cut his da@#n hair and look like a pro athlete he would be a decent role model for the kids. PROOF the you can turn life around after making mistakes. Good luck #100
well its about time
Where is JLAW anyway?...not that I care too much really. Just interesting to hear all the crap he talked about Dungey a few years back and now look at RD. He is a SX/MX champ.....MXDN champ.....and JLAW?
Well he's deinitely the best west coast so far, but just a couple of week ago KW went to Australia for one race and easily won, I don't think Hansen would do very good on 450s where he should have been years ago. DEFINITELY sandbagger
remember a couple of years ago one industries dropped Dungey for Jlaw? are they still even making gear? I'm pretty sure fox is.
Every one of you that says Hanny is a sandbagger..... He has never won a title in the class, nor has he pointed out. How is he a sandbagger? The 250 class is a PROFESSIONAL class too, just like the 450's. I think if a rider is better suited for a 250 or rides it better than a 450 they should be able to stay in that class for as long as they want. Irregardless, he's obviously not a sandbagger since he's not breaking any rules, stop your whining and hating and give the man the respect he deserves. and for the moron that said winning the Aussie SX title is nothing....lemme see you do it, or even do a lap on one of these tracks with these guys, until you can do that, huuuussssshhhhhhhh!!!!!
I'll betcha Donny's proud . My hats off to Mitch Payton for giving a guy a second chance. Have fun Josh!!!
I'm not trying to make any enemies here, I just wanna put an opinion on the subject. 1st off I'm from Tenn., so don't think I'm a Euro saying the FIM is all that an then some. But.... In the MX des Nations (as it should be called) isn't the age limit for MX2 like 21 or something? Hanny is something like 25 give or take a year. Sandbagging... Well, he's been pro for the better part of a decade... Has he pointed out? No. But, think about this. Dung, Villy, Alessi (i know), Canard, Stroupe, Alessi again (again, I know), have all started their pro careers after Hanny did his. Now, he maybe has just now got his focus, and I congradulate him, but he still lacked the commitment of his counterparts early in his career. Sandbagging? Well thats something that is a different opinion from all of us. Just think about reality. Peace Out..
And didn't he turn pro around the same time as Stewie, or maybe a year after? Can't exactly recall, but I know it's been a minute..
And Stewie has been in the fo fitty class for like 4 years now? Just sayin... Sorry if I pissed ya off..
And Sandbagger?.... Um... Isn't the 250 class (even though professional) suppose to be a proving ground type of class to eventually get to the 450's? Just thought that moving from 50's to 65's, 65's to 85's, etc was how the system was suppose to work. I'll shut up now..
hansen is a boss keep it real homie
All you haters just got a boner for Hanny ! All you haters are banana crammers.
all these guys deserve HEAPS of respect... maybe hanny is to old but he hasnt broken any of the rules set down by the AMA... so until then hes fine right there in the lites class showing the kids the way to do it... mxrider 2011 hanny winning the OZ SX is a good stepping stone for him to get his head back into the right space theres no difference with that series then some of the other EURO SX that the USA teams send guys to & then amp up there results.... its all just stepping stones for all the guys & sometimes the lites class is a real long step for some... i personally think that some guys should never get on 450s because it shortens their careers & that sux more ..... keep it going hanny
No doubt that "Hanny is boss". Trust me, I am keeping it real, he is owning it "homie", but Hanny has pissed away a few chances. He still has mad respect from me, hell he'd own me by a minute and a half on a sx track, but still, he's been in for a while. He just needs to earn the respect a little now more than in years past is all. I'm a little partial having a local kid finally making the night show that has been killing it since I started watching it at like age 4 or 5. I hate to see newcomers get shutout because guys that have the sickest talent just do enough to get in. If you're not in it for the pashion then why be in it at all. Hanny is just one of the few that overcame the obstacle of knowing he's better than he shows then actually doing something about it. Congrats to him! I wish him a very successful future. Congrats also to Donnie.
terrible haircut. Are mullets coming back?
It sucks that the street rider-focused AMA and the eco-freak-cowering FIM decided that the 250 class (formerly 125s) have to be some kind of "proving ground" class for new pros. It hasn't been that way very long, and now we have to listen to people call world class pros "sandbaggers." Some guys were BORN to race 250s (formerly 125s), and should be able to stay there their whole career, especially riders of smaller stature. Even with just over half the displacement, the 250 lap times (with these "inexperienced schoolboy proving ground" pros riding them) are a couple of seconds off, and sometimes the 250s have the fastest time of all, so the AMA, FIM and everybody else should quit trying to hold people down and let the 250 class rise to its full potential. Let the AMATEUR classes be the proving ground. Let the NMA and Ponca be the proving ground. Top level pros in any class should not be held down, PERIOD.
Hey I've known Josh for alot of years and i must say I've never seen him so fucused and so HUMBLE, this is a great thing for all of us FANS to get the chance witness, Josh displaying that God given talent. Josh has had his ups and Downs, But give him the credit he deserves for seeing his past mistakes and never giving up!!!!!!!!
his long hair help him alot! =)
I'm glad he finally got it together and hope he can set himself up for a decent 450 ride for next season (If there are any)...
He's almost 30, about time he got his s**t together. He looks good though, however I still want Roczen to win a couple.
I was smokin a big fat blunt with hanny the other night and he was tellin me all about how he doesn't even LIKE racing and he just does it now for money so he can buy more cool shit. he has a rad glass bong
not a hanny fan but if it wasnt legal he wouldnt be able to race in the 250 class so let it be! another title for mitch!!!
hey dorks...some people grow up at different times in their scooter careers, josh is one badass on a scooter and i am glad he is kicking ass and kicking ass consistently. keep it up josh!
rmzchris ... One Industries never dropped Dungey for JLaw. One hired Dungey, then hired JLaw, and Dungey did not want to be running the same gear as JLaw, so he quit and went to Fox.
I think he lacks the speed to run in the 450 class for 20 laps. Its obvious he can lay down a few fast laps. He needs to figure out how to get on a 450 for the east coast rounds like Canard and Dungey just for the experience.
Correct, Dungey opted out of his ONE Industries deal as he did not want to be associated with JLAW. Fox sure won on that deal.......so where is JLAW now? Injured, lazy, jail ?
well, however it went down, "One" looks pretty foolish!
Sandbagging,,, Maybe a little. But it's really a career or business choice. Lets say Hanny moved up to this year to the 450. Who's gonna give him a ride? He would have ended up on some half-rate team, racing for 11th place. Or he stays on a top lites class team and takes down a championship. When he moves up next year he will get better opportunities, better equipment, and a much better chance to compete. Sandbagging or good strategy, call it what you want.
I agree completely with you Motothree. Wins the championship this year, and someone will believe in him for next year on a 450. Congrats to Hansen! Keep it up dude! Stay on the path you are on.
Hanny has been given so many great opportunities and he blew them all and now he Finally is appreciating what he has and is doing putting in the work. I wonder if having a former champion as a dad helps him get his rides? There are so many other worthy riders who could do just as well if they were given the same 2nd, 3rd, 4th chances as Hanny.
If JH100 can mantain this new outlook and more importantly the discipline he has shown the past few months, I think he can run with the 450 guys.....He has shown glimpses of that in the past....but time will tell.....
Seems like he's been racing lites for 15 years
So glad I stayed on the hanny bandwagon. Love this dude. Been straight up since we were on little bikes. Hanny never changed. Everybody else did toward him. I'm so glad he's finally winning. That dude is so naturally gifted on a bike. You should see him at Ocotillo wells. I think hanny purposely lost Best Whip at X'games. I've never seen anyone who can have their bike Whipped flat to the left, than flat to the right as he brings it back. Hanny's living So many peoples dreams right now. I hope he sweeps. Hanny is the DArk Horse, or UnderDogg, as you may... sandbagger??? go watch golf Pu$$ies!
Im with hanny all the way, kudos to the comeback, and who cares how long his hair is? as if that makes a difference in how he rides