Dick Mann
Encyclopedia
Dick Mann is an American
motorcycle racer born in Salt Lake City, Utah
. He was a two-time winner of the A.M.A. Grand National Championship
. He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
in 1993, and the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998. He was one of the few riders to race on dirt flat tracks
, TT (tourist trophy), motocross
, Observed Trials and road racing
.
Mann was the second-winningest rider in AMA Grand National Series history with 24 national victories. His career on the pro circuit spanned the early 1950s to the mid-'70s. He was known for being one of the most talented and versatile riders and for wearing a cheap straw hat while working on his motorcycle.
scooter
in Richmond, California
. He learned how to ride dirt competitively on a cinder
running track at the area schools. He would also ride on the cow trails in the area, experiences that would later help him in motocross. After high school, he started helping at fellow Motorcycle Hall of Famer Hap Alzina's BSA
shop in Oakland
as a mechanic.
with professional Al Gunter. Mann turned expert in 1955, and finished seventh on a Harley Davidson in his first Grand National race, the Daytona 200
. At this time it was competed on the Daytona Beach Road Course
. He slowly made a name for himself in his first three years, and he finished in the top ten in the season points for the first time in 1957. He had second place finished at the Daytona 200 and Laconia in 1958. He had his first national victory at the Peoria, Illinois
Tourist Trophy (TT) in 1959. He finished second in points in that year.
finishes. He clinched the title by winning on September 21 Ascot Park in Gardena, California
.
He continued to win races and place high in the points standings before his next title eight years later. He also helped pioneer motocross
during that time, and raced in several motocross races in the 1960s and early 1970s. He represented the United States in the Trans-Atlantic Match Races. The series faced little-known American racers against Great Britain
's well-known pavement riders.
, a race that he had not won in fifteen attempts. Mann beat former world champion Mike Hailwood
, and rising stars Gene Romero
and Gary Nixon
. It was the first win by Honda
in an AMA national, and it happened at the series' premiere event.
In 1971 Mann won his second Grand National title on a BSA
. He became the oldest series champion in the history of the series. He won the 1971 season opener at the Houston
TT. He won his second Daytona 200 in the second race of the season. Mann also won road races at Pocono Raceway
and Kent, Washington
. He was named AMA's Most Popular Rider of the Year in 1971. Mann became the first rider to win motorcycle racing's career Grand Slam by winning in Grand National on mile, half mile, TT, and road racing circuits.
Mann won races in 1972. His final win as at Peoria, the site of his first win. He was competitive in 1973, and finished in the Top 10 in points at age 40.
Mann retired in 1974. He had raced in 240 nationals, and he finished in the Top 10 in points in every season except one between 1957 and 1973.
In 1975 Mann returned to his trail riding roots. He competed on the United States International Six Days Trial team (now the International Six Days Enduro
) on the Isle of Man
, earning a third place finish.
In 1975 Mann started designing frames for the Yamaha XT/TT500 In all he sold some 200 frames for this engine in four marks, the final frames being completed in 1982. He also designed variations for the Honda XL/XR500 and the Suzuki DR/SP370. All the production frames were constructed by Terry Knight based on each of Mann's home built and extensively tested prototypes.
in 1993. He was still competing in vintage racing when he was inducted in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame
in 1998.
The Motorcycle Hall of Fame opened an exhibit honoring Mann's career on July 27, 2006. The exhibit is called "SuperMann". Over 400 people came to see the opening.
(AHRMA) http://www.ahrma.org Vintage Moto-Cross racing. His wife's name is Kay.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
motorcycle racer born in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
. He was a two-time winner of the A.M.A. Grand National Championship
A.M.A. Grand National Championship
The AMA Grand National Championship is an American motorcycle racing series. The race series, founded and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association in 1954, originally encompassed five distinct forms of competitions including; mile dirt track races, half-mile, short-track, TT...
. He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is a Hall of Fame and museum for American motorsports legends. It was originally located in Novi, Michigan and it moved to the Detroit Science Center in 2009.-Museum:...
in 1993, and the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998. He was one of the few riders to race on dirt flat tracks
Dirt track racing
Dirt track racing is a type of auto racing performed on oval tracks. It began in the United States before World War I and became widespread during the 1920s and 30s. Two different types of racecars predominated—open wheel racers in the Northeast and West and stock cars in the South...
, TT (tourist trophy), motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
, Observed Trials and road racing
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
.
Mann was the second-winningest rider in AMA Grand National Series history with 24 national victories. His career on the pro circuit spanned the early 1950s to the mid-'70s. He was known for being one of the most talented and versatile riders and for wearing a cheap straw hat while working on his motorcycle.
Background
He rode his first motorcycle as a teenager when he delivered papers on a CushmanCushman
Cushman is a manufacturer of industrial vehicles, personal vehicles, and other custom vehicles, including parking patrol auto rickshaws.- Models :* Haulster, small industrial multi-purpose truck.* Truckster* Bellhop Series, golf carts....
scooter
Scooter (motorcycle)
A scooter is a motorcycle with step-through frame and a platform for the operator's feet. Elements of scooter design have been present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier...
in Richmond, California
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
. He learned how to ride dirt competitively on a cinder
Cinder
A cinder is a pyroclastic material. Cinders are extrusive igneous rocks. Cinders are similar to pumice, which has so many cavities and is such low-density that it can float on water...
running track at the area schools. He would also ride on the cow trails in the area, experiences that would later help him in motocross. After high school, he started helping at fellow Motorcycle Hall of Famer Hap Alzina's BSA
Birmingham Small Arms Company
This article is not about Gamo subsidiary BSA Guns Limited of Armoury Road, Small Heath, Birmingham B11 2PP or BSA Company or its successors....
shop in Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
as a mechanic.
1950s
In the summer of 1954 he started touring as an amateurAmateur sports
Amateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. Sporting amateurism was a zealously guarded ideal in the 19th century, especially among the upper classes, but faced steady erosion throughout the 20th century with the continuing growth of pro sports...
with professional Al Gunter. Mann turned expert in 1955, and finished seventh on a Harley Davidson in his first Grand National race, the Daytona 200
Daytona 200
The Daytona 200 is a 68-lap, motorcycle race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.-History:The race evolved from a beach racing venue in 1937 to the Daytona International Speedway course in 1961....
. At this time it was competed on the Daytona Beach Road Course
Daytona Beach Road Course
Daytona Beach Road Course was a race track that was instrumental in the formation of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, or NASCAR. It originally became famous as the location where fifteen world land speed records were set...
. He slowly made a name for himself in his first three years, and he finished in the top ten in the season points for the first time in 1957. He had second place finished at the Daytona 200 and Laconia in 1958. He had his first national victory at the Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
Tourist Trophy (TT) in 1959. He finished second in points in that year.
1960s
In 1963 Mann won his first AMA Grand National title. He had five podiumPodium
A podium is a platform that is used to raise something to a short distance above its surroundings. It derives from the Greek πόδι In architecture a building can rest on a large podium. Podia can also be used to raise people, for instance the conductor of an orchestra stands on a podium as do many...
finishes. He clinched the title by winning on September 21 Ascot Park in Gardena, California
Gardena, California
Gardena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 58,829 at the 2010 census, up from 57,746 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gardena is located at ....
.
He continued to win races and place high in the points standings before his next title eight years later. He also helped pioneer motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
during that time, and raced in several motocross races in the 1960s and early 1970s. He represented the United States in the Trans-Atlantic Match Races. The series faced little-known American racers against Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
's well-known pavement riders.
1970s
Mann started the decade with one the biggest wins of his career. He won the 1970 Daytona 200Daytona 200
The Daytona 200 is a 68-lap, motorcycle race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.-History:The race evolved from a beach racing venue in 1937 to the Daytona International Speedway course in 1961....
, a race that he had not won in fifteen attempts. Mann beat former world champion Mike Hailwood
Mike Hailwood
Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood, MBE, GM was a British Grand Prix motorcycle road racer regarded by many as one of the greatest racers of all time. He was known as "Mike The Bike" because of his natural riding ability...
, and rising stars Gene Romero
Gene Romero
Gene Romero is a former motorcycle racer who won the 1970 A.M.A. Grand National Championship and the 1975 Daytona 200. He competed in the 200 fourteen times, finishing second in 1970 and 1971....
and Gary Nixon
Gary Nixon
Gary Nixon was an American motorcycle racer who, when on Triumph motorcycles, most notably won the A.M.A. Grand National Championship in 1967 and 1968. He was also a former winner of the Daytona 200 motorcycle race on a 500cc Triumph, claiming a victory in the 1967 event...
. It was the first win by Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
in an AMA national, and it happened at the series' premiere event.
In 1971 Mann won his second Grand National title on a BSA
Birmingham Small Arms Company
This article is not about Gamo subsidiary BSA Guns Limited of Armoury Road, Small Heath, Birmingham B11 2PP or BSA Company or its successors....
. He became the oldest series champion in the history of the series. He won the 1971 season opener at the Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
TT. He won his second Daytona 200 in the second race of the season. Mann also won road races at Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway also known as the Tricky Triangle, is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at Long Pond...
and Kent, Washington
Kent, Washington
Kent is a city located in King County, Washington, United States, and is the third largest city in King County and the sixth largest in the state. An outlying suburb of Seattle, Kent is also the corporate home for companies such as REI and Oberto Sausage...
. He was named AMA's Most Popular Rider of the Year in 1971. Mann became the first rider to win motorcycle racing's career Grand Slam by winning in Grand National on mile, half mile, TT, and road racing circuits.
Mann won races in 1972. His final win as at Peoria, the site of his first win. He was competitive in 1973, and finished in the Top 10 in points at age 40.
Mann retired in 1974. He had raced in 240 nationals, and he finished in the Top 10 in points in every season except one between 1957 and 1973.
In 1975 Mann returned to his trail riding roots. He competed on the United States International Six Days Trial team (now the International Six Days Enduro
International Six Days Enduro
The International Six Days Enduro is the oldest 'off road' motorcycle event on the FIM Calendar.The ISDE was first held in 1913 at Carlisle, England. It has occurred annually, apart from interruptions due to World War I and World War II, at various locations throughout the world. The early...
) on the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, earning a third place finish.
In 1975 Mann started designing frames for the Yamaha XT/TT500 In all he sold some 200 frames for this engine in four marks, the final frames being completed in 1982. He also designed variations for the Honda XL/XR500 and the Suzuki DR/SP370. All the production frames were constructed by Terry Knight based on each of Mann's home built and extensively tested prototypes.
Honors and awards
Mann was awarded the AMA Dud Perkins Award for his contributions to the sport in 1995. He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of AmericaMotorsports Hall of Fame of America
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is a Hall of Fame and museum for American motorsports legends. It was originally located in Novi, Michigan and it moved to the Detroit Science Center in 2009.-Museum:...
in 1993. He was still competing in vintage racing when he was inducted in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame
Motorcycle Hall of Fame
The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is an offshoot of the American Motorcyclist Association that recognizes individuals who have contributed to motorcycle sport, motorcycle construction and motorcycling in general. It displays motorcycles and riding gear and memoribilia. The museum is located in...
in 1998.
The Motorcycle Hall of Fame opened an exhibit honoring Mann's career on July 27, 2006. The exhibit is called "SuperMann". Over 400 people came to see the opening.
Current life
He owns a business specializing in restoring and selling vintage race motorcycles. He also continues to actively participate in American Historic Racing Motorcycle AssociationAmerican Historic Racing Motorcycle Association
The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association was formed in 1984 as a private business. In 1987 it was reorganized as a member owned non profit organization...
(AHRMA) http://www.ahrma.org Vintage Moto-Cross racing. His wife's name is Kay.
Biography
- Mann of His Time, Ed Youngblood. Whitehorse Press (September 7, 2002). ISBN 978-1884313400.