About Hank
Hank Takes DuQuoin A Record Fourth Time
Hank Scott began his involvement with racing more than 30 years ago.
Hailing from California, Hank began traveling with his older brother,
Gary. as he raced flat tracks all across the country. That year, Gary
finished 2nd in the nation to Mark Brelsford. While in Chattanooga in
1972, Hank formed a friendship with noted flat track cycle owner, Drew
Pate. The initial impression proved to be a good one, as Pate called Hank
in November of 1972 to offer him a ride on one of Pate’s potent
flat track cycles.
Armed with all his belongings packed into the back of his ’67
El Camino, Hank struck out for Tennessee, leaving his native California
behind.
The association proved beneficial, as Hank went on to win 27 AMA flat
track features in 1973 while riding for Pates and was the AMA number one
Junior in the nation in 1973.
In the process, Hank gained the attention of the Harley factory team,
who thought it better to put Hank on one of their potent rides for the
upcoming season. Again riding for Pates, Hank captured his first national
event on the mile at Syracuse, NY and finished 8th in the country in AMA
points.
The next few years saw Hank ride for Shell Thuet and Carl Patrick, two
of the top builders in the country. With Patrick, Hank was the first racer
to average 100 mph for an entire event in DuQuoin, Ill in 1978. Not one
to rest on his laurels, Scott bettered that mark in 1980 at the Indy mile,
improving to over 102 mph.
Making the victory even sweeter was that Hank was riding on his own equipment
with a power plant that he built himself. 1980 also held heartbreak for
Hank, losing the year-end title to Randy Goss (now a crewchief for Greg
Biffle on the Winston Cup circuit) by 1 point. Entering the 2-day events
needing only a respectable finish, Hank was sidelined by what he termed
“a $2 part” while leading and saw his shot at the title slip
through his grasp. Even with nothing to gain, Hank showed up at the final
event determined to leave an impression. When the final race took place
at Ascot Park in CA, Hank went out and set a new track record in qualifying
the nite before at the Ascot Gold Cup tune up race, then set fast time
the next nite at the national. Even after a bad start, Hank worked his
way to the front, staging a stirring side by side duel with Goss before
finally finishing 3rd to Steve Eklund. One more lap, one more position
would have given Hank the title but, sadly, it was not to be.
The next year saw Hank right back out front, but having serious problems
with good quality parts from Harley at the time. Poor vendors and quality
control from Harley relegated Hank to a number of DNFs while leading.
Hank found that he could not keep a good set of cases under the horsepower
he was making. The last race that season at Ascot again found Hank a solid
4th in points, so he let brother Gary use his cycle. Gary was locked in
a points battle with rider, Mike Kidd, and Hank wanted to give him every
advantage. Gary’s advantage turned out to nearly be Hank’s
undoing, as Gary’s was not up to Hank’s normal standards.
Hank took a horrible spille, breaking his femur, pelvis, and collar bone.
It nearly killed him.
It took Hank a full year to return to the winners circle, again at Du
Qoin, this time riding for the Honda factory. Sadly, Hank would never
return to his previous high level. In 1984, Hank returned to his own Harley
equipment, giving them their only wins of the
season at Du Qoin and Indy. Even the Harley factory riders were unable
to duplicate what Hank was able to do building motors out of his own,
2-car garage.
Working on his own motors for countless hours, striving to find the horsepower
hidden from most engine builders, Hank’s efforts now pay off every
time one of “his” drivers pulls into victory lane. Hank cares
about his customers and feels that when they win, he wins. Winning is
something a true racer never gets tired of.
What Hank learned can be used to your advantage now. I persist in the
knowledge of beating my competition. He never stops trying to develop
more horsepower for his customers.
With more than 3,000 engines built so far, HSR-powered
racers have won countless championships; notably Craig Goess, Jr., a two-time
national champion and Cotton Spry, a five-time champion of both dirt and
asphalt. Both of these fine champions count on HSR for a tradition of
winning. The choice should be clear, and that choice is HSR!
HSR Engines and Products are the best and most dependable
for your racing needs.
