This Week in Yamaha History: Henry in '97
Thursday, April 19, 2012 | 10:25 AM
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The 1997 AMA Supercross season started with a whole bunch of drama—and Doug Henry was happy it didn’t surround him. He’d been through enough by 1997, after coming back from a devastating crash at Budds Creek two years earlier that left him with a broken back. His 1996 comeback season, with factory Yamaha, was so-so, highlighted by a lone moto win at Washougal.
For 1997, Henry quietly went to work improving his program on a familiar factory Yamaha YZ250, while fireworks went off in other directions when defending SX Champion Jeremy McGrath left Honda about a week before the season began and headed to Suzuki. Meanwhile, Jeff Emig was hyped as a potential McGrath challenger after beating MC for the 1996 AMA 250 National Motocross Championship. Then the season opener presented another shocker when Greg Albertyn delivered his first and only U.S. Supercross win.
Through it all, few noticed Henry, until he scored the win at round two in Los Angeles. Emig won round three in Phoenix, setting the stage for an epic fourth-round battle at the old Kingdome in Seattle.
Henry extended his points lead in Seattle, but would suffer a broken hand later in the series.
Yamaha photo
Mike Craig grabbed the holeshot on his Honda of Troy CR250, just ahead of his teammate Larry Ward and McGrath. But Yamaha’s Ezra Lusk was riding like a man possessed, passing all three to get the lead and start pulling away. Henry and Emig, meanwhile, were pretty far back, and weren’t even noticed early.
Then Lusk crashed, putting Seattle favorite Ward into the lead. By then, though, Henry had caught fire, making some daring moves and even passing McGrath for second. Henry had a triple dialed in through the center of a rhythm section, and he used that section, and some speed in the whoops, to close in, pressure and eventually pass Ward for the lead.
Late in the race, McGrath found his goove and tried running Henry back down, but it was not to be—Henry scored his second win in four races, and extended his series’ points lead. He left the Kingdome on top of the world.
“I really wanted to win this one,” said Henry to our own Davey Coombs, who worked as ESPN pit reporter at the time. “I got sixth in Phoenix and I wasn’t happy with that. I told me wife I was going to win Seattle!”
Henry spent much of the season locked in a battle with Emig and McGrath for the points lead, but a collision with Jimmy Button knocked him out of the series with a broken hand. He would return only for the series finale in Las Vegas, now mounted on a four-stroke. But we all know the story about that race. His Seattle win, on a two-stroke, might not be as memorable, but it was just as impressive.
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One Bad ass dude!!!
Ah memories. Lusk, MC, and Henry. My three all time faves right there. I would do some unspeakable things to have a Yamaha Henry jersey from around that era.
I frickin love articles like this. Excellent stuff, guys.
Doug was and always will be a freaking viking warrior badass. True legend.
The only guy I'd actually admit to being a fan of...
No disrispect but If you're not a fan, it must suck watching our great sport with no one to cheer for.....
After buying my shiny new '99 YZ400F "Doug Henry replica" and stalling (and trying to restart) away my maiden voyage victory on a racetrack, I wondered why I made such a foolish purchase. Trust me, going from 1st (with a generous lead) to 5th has never hurt as much, before or since. Stalling in front of all my friends & family on the fenceline while they made the "just kick it" kicking motion was salt on the wound.
I'm pretty sure he'd be the only rider to win a SX on a two-stroke, and on a four-stroke, in the same season.
@carlsbad - I had similar bad experiences my first few races with the 426. The very first race, I stalled on the gate, finally got it going right after the leader went by, and rode the rest of the race pretending I wasn't a lap down. A few weeks later, I was literally jeered by onlookers, when the bike stalled and I was kicking away in the heat, almost losing a lap that time also.
Doug is simply a great example of what good people are supposed to be like!
Stays on the Positive and always continues to move forward, despite whatever set backs he or his family may be personally dealing with.
True Grit.........
I was @ that race, the last one in the Kingdome. My friends and I were sitting five rows from track right at the base of that triple Henry had dialed. The only reason he had it dialed is now the reason four strokes are now on the track. Leading up to the triple was a whoop section, than a hard right hand turn into the face of the triple fifteen feet from apex. Everybody had to go wide to clear it, about five laps into the race Henry blitzed the whoops got on the binders hard and took an inside line, everybody thought he was nuts. He opened the cork on that four stroke and seat bounce the entire triple with no more than eight foot of run. We all sat with our jaws hanging to the floor. None and I mean none of the others on two strokes could do it. The rest is history.
Totally boned it. Got 97 and 99 confused. So sorry. But I do remember Lance Smail on a worked over KTM 4 stroke that year. He received a standing ovation for finishing third in the last chance qualifier. I just remember the roar of the crowd and that growling four stroke and people smiling the whole time cause it was so different. We wanted him to make the main so bad just because it was different. I miss the King Dome that joke of a stadium Seattle has now sucks. Not supposed to rain this weekend so it should be a good race. Now I just wish someone would enter a two stroke.
I agree with mxtras, great article, keep them coming.
dont forget guys the AMA idiots let the 4stroke go from 400 to 426 and then to 450...BS
250 vs 250
and 450 vs 450 is what the rules should be!!
are you listening DC and MX sports? NOpe!