Columbus, Ohio, USA (July 29, 2022) - Bobby Hill passed away July 12, 2022 100 years old. He was born July 8, 1922 in Tridelphia, West Virginia to the late Laura Mae and George Hill. He was preceded in death by his wife Nancy Lee, and brothers William Hill Sr. (Janet) his son William Hill JR and Robert Eugene Hill. He began racing flat tracks in 1940 on a 1939 WLDR Harley.
In 1942, he won 6 of 7 feature races before entering the marines in World War 2 as a Hydraulic mechanic for planes. Never racing as an amateur, he returned to racing in the expert class. He won his first National Championship, in 1948 on the 10 mile track in Jacksonville, FL. In 1950, Bobby became part of the Infamous Indian “Wrecking Crew”, made up of himself, Bill Tuman and Ernie Beckman.
In 1951 and 1952 he won National Championships at Springfield, Illinois and the honor of using the #1 plate for two years. He was the Most Popular Rider in the US in 1952. In 1954, he won the Daytona 200 race on the beach-road course on a BSA.
Over the years, he was honored as the first inductee to the Charity Newsies Hall of Fame in Columbus, Ohio, the National Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Sturgis SD, the Springfield Indian Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass, and the AMA Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio.
He was most honored by an engraved photo on the Monument commemorating the winners of the Daytona 200 erected on the old beach-road course. Bobby and Nancy lived in Grove City since 1954 and loved their friends like family.
He is survived by children: Barbara Ohly, James R Hill (Judy), Tami Steele (Steve Capocciama), grandchildren: Dane Ohly (Ainsley) son Dash, Josh Hill (Whitney) son Townes, Jordan Hill, Joe Hill daughter Haylynn, Erin Steele son Jax, Jamie Steele (Krista), Shana (Cory) Aycock daughter Marlee, cousins: Charlotte (Tim) Reichert, Mary Ruth Brennan, Niece Mona (Jon) Journey and son Austin (Brittany) Journey.
Friends and family may visit Tues 2-4 pm July 26 at Newcomer Southwest, 3393 Broadway, Grove City, Oh 43123.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Daytona 200 Monument at Daytona200Monument.com
Minneapolis, MN, USA (January 22, 2020) BSB — Indian Motorcycle Racing confirmed its return for the 2020 American Flat Track (AFT) season in the series’ newly developed Super Twins class. For the second consecutive season, the Indian Wrecking Crew will feature 2019 Grand National Champion Briar Bauman, brother Bronson Bauman, who finished third overall in 2019, and six-time Grand National Champion Jared “the Jammer” Mees, who finished second overall in 2019.
In addition, AFT legend and fan favorite Brad “the Bullet” Baker returns as Technical Advisor and Rider Coach for the Bauman brothers. After capturing the top three spots in the 2019 standings, Indian Motorcycle Racing enters the 2020 series with its sights set on capturing its fourth consecutive Grand National Championship and Manufacturer’s Championship.
“Powered by the momentum of Briar winning his first Grand National Championship, the emergence of Bronson as a legitimate series contender, and Jared’s unparalleled intensity and drive to reclaim the number one plate, we couldn’t be more excited by our prospects for the 2020 series,” said Gary Gray, Vice President – Racing, Technology and Service for Indian Motorcycle. “For the fourth straight season, we will have a massive target on our backs with the entire paddock looking to take us down. But we know our three riders and their crews are more than up to the challenge and determined to continue our championship streak for a fourth consecutive season.”
The Bauman brothers will again be backed by the operational and technical expertise of Paul Langley and S&S. The ongoing support from S&S since Indian’s return to the series in 2017 has been instrumental to the capabilities of the Indian FTR750, now a fixture throughout the AFT paddock, and the performance of Indian Motorcycle Racing and its riders.
In addition, Dave Zanotti will continue as Crew Chief, with Dustin Say and Clayton Gatewood handling mechanic duties for Briar and Bronson Bauman respectively. Once again, Jared Mees’ operation will be supported by long-time Crew Chief Kenny Tolbert, and mechanics Bubba Bentley and Jimmy Wood. S&S’s Dean Young continues his ongoing role as the Wrecking Crew Team Manager.
2019 saw the Bauman brothers stake their claim as the sport’s most dynamic duo, under the guidance of Crew Chief Dave Zanotti. Briar Bauman asserted his dominance immediately, winning the Daytona TT season opener, and never relenting the rest of the season on the way to his first Grand National Championship. The elder Bauman was a picture of consistency, capturing five victories and earning podium finishes in 17 of 20 events.
Meanwhile, 2019 was a season of extremes for Mees, capturing a series-best eight victories, only to come up a mere seven points short of his seventh Grand National Championship. For the younger Bauman, 2019 was a year to establish himself as one of the series’ most intense and exciting competitors, capturing five podiums, including his first career AFT Twins victory at Laconia.
In 2020, in addition to S&S, Indian will benefit significantly from the support of its valued sponsors, including presenting sponsor Progressive Motorcycle Insurance, Parts Unlimited, Drag Specialities, Indian Motorcycle Oil, Alpinestars, J&P Cycles and Bell Helmets.
“Every team in the paddock understands how invaluable the support of sponsors are to the success of a team, and for us, it’s no exception,” said Gray. “You can’t underestimate the advantage it brings to have the resources and support of companies like these that are so heavily invested in our success, and the success and growth of our sport overall.”
For 2020, AFT is introducing new regulations to continue its ongoing effort to create more competitive balance, and once again, these regulations challenge Indian and the FTR750 specifically. The case in point is AFT’s mandate that the Indian FTR750 will have a limit on flywheel mass which can affect power delivery and stability.
“We had a lot of constructive conversations with AFT and certainly understand the motivations behind their decision to regulate our bike in this manner, people want to see more than one brand on the podium, but it can be frustrating to be punished for winning,” said Gray. “Regardless of this, or any other potential obstacle, we come to win, and we have full confidence that in 2020, we will once again do just that.”
ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE
Indian Motorcycle is America’s First Motorcycle Company®. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.
