Three-Time Pro Motocross Champion Doug Henry Named Grand Marshal of Yamaha Budds Creek National Finals

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer will be Celebrated 30 Years After Infamous Moment at Budds Creek that Spawned the Legendary Obstacle “Henry Hill”

MORGANTOWN, WV – August 21, 2025 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc., in conjunction with the event organizers at Budds Creek Motocross Park, has announced that AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Doug Henry has been named Grand Marshal of the Yamaha Budds Creek National Finals. The season-ending race of the 2025 Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, will celebrate the decorated career of the three-time series champion and Yamaha legend, who will forever be linked to the sport’s progression to four-stoke motorcycles and one of the most infamous moments in American motocross history, which took place 30 years ago at Budds Creek.

“We are privileged to celebrate the incredible career of Doug Henry, one of the toughest, most resilient, and most talented racers to ever throw a leg over a motorcycle. His decorated career brought him multiple championships and ultimately earned him a permanent place in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, but he will also always be remembered for what happened at Budds Creek 30 years ago,” said Ezra Beasley, Budds Creek National Event Organizer. “Doug is still an integral part of the racing community and can be seen offering his support at several races. Moreover, he has continued to showcase his incredible resiliency long after his racing days were over. There is simply nothing that can hold back Doug Henry. He’s an inspiring figure for all the adversity he’s overcome and is more than deserving of this honor as Grand Marshal.”

Doug Henry began his pro career as an unassuming non-factory Yamaha rider out of Connecticut, but a breakthrough win in 1991 altered the trajectory of his career.
Photo Courtesy Racer X Archives

A native of Connecticut, Henry began his pro career in the late 1980s focused on regional events but made a move to full-time competition during the 1990 season. He captured his first career 125cc win as a non-factory rider at the 1991 Hangtown Motocross Classic, which eventually led to an opportunity with Factory Honda ahead of the 1993 season and resulted in both a 125cc East Supercross title and his first 125cc Pro Motocross title, beating out the likes of Jeff Emig and Jeremy McGrath. Henry successfully defended his Pro Motocross crown in 1994, outlasting teammate Steve Lamson.

Henry embarked on his rookie 250cc season in 1995, where he claimed victory at the Irving, Texas, round of Supercross. He carried that momentum into Pro Motocross, with a win at the third round at High Point Raceway. At the following round at Budds Creek, Henry was in a battle for second against McGrath. A combination of factors caused Henry to lose control of his Honda and carry too much speed off the track’s biggest and steepest downhill descent. He soared through the air, estimated by some to be 70 feet high and 120 feet in distance, and crash landed at the bottom of the hill. He suffered a broken back, but miraculously never lost feeling in his legs. An innovative surgery not only healed Henry’s back but allowed his racing career to continue. The spectacular incident was captured on film and to this day remains one of the most talked about moments in the history of the sport. The hill became the focal point of Budds Creek’s dynamic layout and has been known simply as “Henry Hill” for the 30 years since the moment took place.

Henry’s spectacular crash as the 1995 Budds Creek National remains one of the most infamous and memorable moments in American motocross history.
Video Courtesy We Went Fast

Despite the severity of his injury, Henry shocked the world with a return to action for the 1996 season, now a member of Factory Yamaha. It was a challenging comeback but was all worth it when he finished on the podium in front of family and friends at the Southwick National, his home race. He returned to his winning ways in 1997, capturing a trio of Supercross victories, and then made a historic move for the 1998 season that saw him become the first rider to compete aboard a four-stroke motorcycle full time. Henry made history aboard the prototype 400cc Yamaha by winning the 1997 Las Vegas Supercross, but his legacy within the sport was solidified with a historic 1998 campaign in which he piloted the four-stroke to the 250cc Pro Motocross title on the heels of five victories. It proved to be a turning point for the sport as four-strokes eventually became the bike of choice for every manufacturer, ushering in the current era of 450cc competition.

Henry debuted the four-stroke Yamaha in 1997 and went on to compete aboard it full time for the 1998 season in which he won the 250cc Pro Motocross title.
Photo Courtesy Racer X Archives

Henry stepped away from full-time competition following the 1999 campaign but raced select Pro Motocross Nationals through the 2006 season. He also raced snowmobiles, mountain bikes, and even captured a Grand National Cross-Country Racing Series victory in 2005. However, he found a new home as a Factory Yamaha rider in the AMA Supermoto Championship, where he battled alongside fellow Pro Motocross legend Jeff Ward. Henry captured an X Games Gold Medal in the discipline at the 2005 event. Unfortunately, a supermoto crash in 2007 left Henry paralyzed from the waist down. Despite the life-altering accident, Henry’s passion for racing never wavered and he became a star of adaptive racing, earning multiple X Games Medals in adaptive SnoCross and Snow BikeCross competitions. He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2005.

Henry carried the #1 on his Yamaha during his final full season of competition in 1999.
Photo Courtesy Racer X Archives

The Yamaha Budds Creek National Finals will serve as the 28th and final round of the SMX World Championship Regular Season this Saturday, August 23, from Budds Creek Motocross Park in Mechanicsville, Maryland.

Tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting www.ProMotocross.com.

For information about the Pro Motocross Championship, please visit ProMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the Pro Motocross social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:

MX Sports Pro Racing

MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc., manages and produces the world’s premier motocross racing series – the Pro Motocross Championship sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. MX Sports Pro Racing is an industry leader in off-road powersport event production and management, whose mission is to showcase the sport of professional motocross competition at events throughout the United States. Through its various racing properties, partnerships and affiliates, MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc., organizes events for thousands of racing athletes each year and attracts millions of motorsports spectators.

Visit MXSportsProRacing.com for more information.

Pro Motocross Championship

The Pro Motocross Championship sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing features the world’s fastest outdoor motocross racers, competing aboard homologated bikes from one of eight competing manufacturers on a collection of the roughest, toughest tracks on the planet. Racing takes place each Saturday afternoon, with competition divided into two classes: one for 250cc machines, and one for 450cc machines. MX Sports Pro Racing, the industry leader in off-road powersports event production, organizes the Pro Motocross Championship series.

More information can be found at ProMotocross.com.

SMX World Championship

The SMX World Championship™ is the premier off-road motorcycle racing series in the world that combines the technical precision of stadium racing with the all-out speed and endurance of outdoor racing. Created in 2022, the SMX World Championship Series combines the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the Pro Motocross Championship sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing into a 28-round regular season that culminates with the season-ending SMX World Championship Playoffs.

Visit SuperMotocross.com for more information.

AMA Pro Racing

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization for North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. It serves as the sanctioning body of the Pro Motocross Championship.

Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at AMAProRacing.com.

Source: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.

####