Most motorcycle riders typically slow down at night, wary of animals, obstacles, twists, and turns. But Steve Hengeveld isn’t most riders, he isn’t typical, and he most definitely isn’t slow. One of motorcycle racing’s best off-road competitors at any time of day, Hengeveld’s specialty is night racing – screaming through the desert with a preternatural sense of the dark landscape around him.
“Henge” has won seven Baja 1000 crowns and holds the record for most consecutive Baja 500 wins (five). With those titles and a multitude of other championships, Hengeveld is a dominant player – many would say the dominant player – in the U.S. desert. As he expands his territory to events like Australia’s Finke Desert Race, he’s poised to set a new standard for off-road racing worldwide.
GROWING UP, AND WINNING BIG, IN THE DESERT
Raised northwest of Los Angeles, Hengeveld was born to the desert – and to racing. His father, Gary, was a former racer, and young Steve started riding before the age of three, competing in motocross from 1981, when he was five.
By his late teens, Hengeveld was making the transition to off-road racing. In 1994, he won the 250cc Pro divisions of the Tonopah 300 and the Baja 1000 and earned the AMA District 37 Desert Series 250cc Championship. He continued winning top races in the 250cc class throughout the 1990s, while simultaneously working his way into four-strokes, taking first in the 450cc class at the Tonopah and Vegas-to-Reno contests as early as 1998. In 2000 Hengeveld joined the Honda “B” team and quickly made his mark with the faster, more powerful XR650R. Not only did he win the Baja 2000; but in a nailbiter, he went fender to fender with the legendary Johnny Campbell for the length of the Baja 500, pushing hard at the finish to win.
Hengeveld proceeded to log his record five consecutive Baja 500 victories through 2004, and narrowly missed a sixth when he finished second in 2005 – although he did claim his fifth Baja 1000 win before the year was out. He has been crowned AMA District 37 Desert Series Open-class and Overall champion, AMA District 37 Enduro Series Open-Class and Overall Champion, AMA National Hare and Hound Four-Stroke Champion, Duralast SCORE Desert Series Overall Motorcycle and Class 22 Champion, and Best in the Desert Silver State Series Open Pro Champion (multiple times). He additionally set a world record of 1,414 miles in winning the 24-hour Off-road World Endurance Championship. And along the way, he has won such prestigious events as the Terrible’s Town 250 and 24 Hours of Glen Helen.
EXTENDING HIS REACH, AND HIS RECORDS
Racing fans expected a battle royale when the hard-charging Hengeveld went up against Johnny Campbell in the 2006 Baja 1000. The two, who had been teammates for a few years, were once again on rival teams. The odds seemed to favor Campbell, who had the motivation of aiming for a record-setting tenth win in the event, while Henge would be riding a new Honda machine that was unproven. But in the end…
“We kicked ass!” Hengeveld remembers, generously sharing the credit with his team.
What makes Hengeveld such a standout? His innate talent can’t be denied, but another key is his meticulous preparation for every contest. Not only does he ride as much as 400 miles a day to build endurance as he readies himself for contention, but he spends weeks scouting the course.
“First you run the whole thing, and then you break it down into sections,” he explains. By racetime, this savvy competitor is so familiar with the terrain that he can visualize the landscape even in complete darkness.
When he isn’t racing, Hengeveld (who somehow found time to earn a degree in business) enjoys hanging out with his wife, Amiee, and their two girls and twin boys. He elaborates, “We do a lot of cycling – the twins are competing in BMX – and we all like cruising on our boat. We’re an active family!”
Hengeveld is never too busy for a new challenge, however, which is why he accepted an invitation to the Finke Desert Race in 2006. “It’s the biggest off-road race in Australia, a two-day event,” he states. The American did himself proud on the unfamiliar terrain, finishing first in his class (451cc and above four-stroke) and in the top ten bikes overall; but he immediately made plans to return on a smaller 450cc bike in 2007, which better suits the sandy, rough landscape.
While adding fresh events to his roster, Hengeveld continues to do what he does so well: striving to extend his own already-impressive legacy. “Now that I’ve got seven Baja 1000 wins, I’d like to keep that streak going,” Henge nods. “I’d like to hit the ten mark.”
