This Week in Yamaha History: Henry in '97
Friday, May 4, 2012 | 3:30 PM
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PrintIt is one of the most talked about nights in SX history. The 1997 Las Vegas supercross hosted a big race for the record books, as Jeff Emig held off Jeremy McGrath to take the series’ championship, ending MC’s four-year run at the top (MC came back to win three more titles. If not for a rough run with Suzuki in 1997, he could have won eight straight!)
But while Emig’s title win and McGrath’s title loss will always play a key part in the sport’s lore, the battle for the race win in Vegas has actually proven to be a bigger story. Doug Henry started the ’97 season strong and led the early point standings with two victories. But a broken hand ended his title bid. When the AMA MX Nationals began, Yamaha switched Henry from the traditional YZ250 for a radical, experimental, hand-built 400cc four-stroke. Doug had his struggles on the bike at the National MX opener at Gainesville in March, and then lost some time with the supercross injury. By the time Vegas rolled around, he and Yamaha decided to give the four-banger a try, even though supercross, with technical sections, was expected to be a bad match for a four-stroke. The bikes just didn’t have the snappy throttle response needed for SX, right?
Doug Henry en route to his 1997 Las Vegas victory on a Yamaha four-stroke.
MotoVerte photo
But Henry and the Yamaha boys had been working, working and working on that works bike. And when the main event rolled around, Henry took off! He nailed the holeshot and simply waxed the field, that tractor-like power of the thumper hooking up while the two-strokes spun on the Vegas hard pack. And the jumps and whoops sure didn’t seem to be an issue, either. Henry won in dominant fashion, and hence, in 20 laps, the four-stroke’s reputation changed forever. That’s a result that still has an impact today.
Henry’s works bike would still have its problems—a few weeks later, the bike cut out on a jump at the Budds Creek National, and Doug broke both of his arms in the wreck. But it paved the way to a production YZ400F bike in 1998, and Yamaha sold a ton of them—helped, no doubt, by Henry’s win in Vegas the year before.
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He could have won a lot more titles with just a little less bad luck!!
The story of Doug Henry's career is as good as any in racing ... and this is just one of the amazing chapters. Plus he's one of the best people to ever grace our sport.
I'll never forget the sight of him crawling to the side of the track with two broken arms and asking a spectator to please take his helmet off. Dude was absolute nails. A week or two later, he's at Southwick furiously waving Dowdy on with two arms in full casts and a huge smile! Anyone else do something like that today? Hell no! One of kind.
That was a great race, if I'm not mistaken it had rained a bit, and Henry was the only one jumping some scary triples lap after lap.
Not taking anything away from Doug because he's as good as it gets, but my first and most lasting impression of the 4 stroke hitting the pro MX scene was Mike Healey.
It was at the Glen Helen opener I believe in 96 and Healey was the only 4-stroke in the 250 class on an XR. I remember that bike sounding like an absolute beast ripping up Mt. St Helens and Healey just owning that bike. The following year is when Doug broke out the "new" generation 4 stroke and all the thumper hype started.
I'm still drooling over those YZ360AF two stroke pics that someone linked a while back. I know it'll never happen but I can dream, right ?
It should be noted that the 2010 to 2012 YZ450F's are alot different than what was previously being manufactured by Yamaha. Stewart did not have the same problems on the 2009 YZF as he was having on the current bikes! Yamaha really needs to go back to the drawing board and fix this bike! Racers shouldnt have to change motor mounts and lower radiators and change the gas tank just to get the bike to feel normal!
Metta, I was at the 97 Vegas SX, it did not rain. You might be thinking of The 95 Dallas SX where Henry and MC were the only ones jumping the triples every lap. Henry was on a Honda that year. The 97 Vegas SX was also the year Windham and RC went head to head in a great East/West shootout on 125's.
People are naming different years and races when 4 strokes were "introduced," but they were racing 4 strokes for decades before 2 strokes took over in the early '70s.
Windham waxed RC at that 97 Vegas shootout. Ricky crashed multiple times and he is shown on camera crying sitting on his bike. Was pretty funny.
At the start of the race he said he was about the same speed as Windham.
Before RC crashed they were going at it for a few laps.
HJ your a muppet dude!
I had the yz400 in 99, 4 yz 250 two storkes, a new 05 rmz 450 a 07 crf450, 08 crf250
and many others, im a vet and imho my 2011 yz450 is better then all of them, the crf 450 07 coming in second.. number 18 seems to be doing fine. jay marmont won 2 titles on it, josh leads aus this year .....
When it comes to riders, there really aren't too many GENUINE class acts in our sport. With little doubt, Doug Henry is part of that minority. Doug remains a fan favorite because of his professional and never wavering dedication to the sport and most importantly to the fans. Unlike far too many of todays 21st century "one act wonders", the likes of riders like Doug Henry keep this industry alive and fans coming back wanting more.
TO: sef154...I'm sure the intent was to emphasis the RE-introduction of four strokes .in our sport. From one who competed a Triumph TR5MX, just powerplant wise...there's NO comparison to my ancient BSA designed "one-lunger" and the machine that began the next trend, Like so many other examples in the industry, think about how many times that Yamaha alone has changed the face of the industry and ESPECIALLY for products and features that actually end up on the showroom floor. It's typically OTHER manufacturers who follow suite in the original design or challenge.
@sef154 You are right about the old days. I've been told that some of the popular small bikes had up to like 7 or 8 gears and a 50 cc motor. Might be fun to try one of those to see first hand how the trans. helped out the tiny motor. These things are so old that even Welker probably never got to try one! LOL sorry Welker. Grace us with some input on this. Thanks in advance.
Being a big, fat tub-o-lard, the two strokes fit my lack of style nicely. The four strokes I have ridden need planning and a methodical approach to going fast. Since planning and any reference to method is absent from my approach, just hammering the throttle on my 500AF at the last second makes me look like I have skills aplenty (although I don't) as I careen around the pee-wee track... A legend in my own mind!
hey brett since your bragging about how many of those 4 stroke piece of shits you have you are someone you know has more money than you know what to do with unless the bikes are all craigslists beaters, throw one my way thats the only way id ride one if was free not gonna drop 10 grand on a new one roll it out the door start it up and put it in gear and than say look know i have a bike worth 3000.00 if that. your a vet james is a pro lot a difference, 4 strokes died once, whenever we all get through throwing away hard earned money on a bike no more advanced than a 2 stroke they will die again. Im waiting.
I remember meeting Doug at Washougal that year Emig won the title. His wrists were astounding! I'm guessing his casts had just come off. My gf notice it first. "Wow! What happened THAT guy?!" We then walked over and talked to Doug, briefly. She really liked him a lot. The perpetual smile and friendly demeanor. Nice guy. His wife must be an emotional wreck with his two Budds Creek get-offs and then his Snow-cross injury on top of it.
I was there at Vegas in 1997 and that thumper running around on that hardpacked blue grooved track was like a freak of nature. It was so strange with all those 2 strokes out there. Who would have thought on that day it was sign of a new era!
Oh I'm a muppet? What kind of trash talk is that? brett568, just as I should have said and exactly what yamaha645 stated, I was talking about PRO racers! The ultimate speed that is attained on a motocross bike! haha! Yes, Millsaps seems to ride the YZ450F ok but still not in the same league as Stewart, Dungey or Poto for that matter. Sorry but its the truth! Also Dr. D wouldnt be showing a video of how to change the engine mount on that bike just to make it better. Im pretty sure they did the same thing to Millsaps' bike!