Jensen Hendler: From the Pacific Northwest to the Helm of Star Racing Yamaha

The journey from a kid ripping around orchards and backyard trails in Kennewick, Washington, to the team manager of the Monster Energy/Yamaha Star Racing 250 team wasn’t exactly a straight line for Jensen Hendler. It was a path paved with borrowed bikes, relentless determination, and a whole lot of passion for the sport.

Humble Beginnings

Born in Pasco and raised in Kennewick, Jensen’s first taste of motorsports came on ATVs his dad bought under the guise of being used for hunting. By middle school, his best friend had moved to Idaho and picked up racing. When he came back for spring break with a YZ80, the two hit Horn Rapids.

Jensen didn’t have his own bike, let alone gear, but that didn’t stop him. Wearing borrowed gear and riding a borrowed bike, he was soon turning faster laps than his friend. At 15, he finally got his first real motocross bike—a 1998 CR125—and from that moment, motorcycles became his life.

A Mechanic in the Making

Knowing he wouldn’t make a career as a racer, Jensen pivoted toward another passion: working on bikes. So, one day he walked into a local Honda dealership and made an offer: “Let me work for free for a week. If you hire me, great. If not, no hard feelings.”

That deal turned into months of setting up bikes and shadowing mechanics after his work was complete. Eventually, he enrolled at Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI) in Arizona, supporting himself by racing and living off Honda contingency money.

Ironically, wrenching for a privateer in the 250SX West Region in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship nearly got him kicked out of school. “I had to explain to the principal, ‘Hey man, this is what I want to do, and I’m already doing it. I’m basically interning.’”

Luckily, they saw his vision.

From Privateer to Pro Team

After finishing MMI, he returned to Washington and asked his old dealership for a raise. He was turned down. So, he walked into a bank, took out a loan and he opened his own shop. It didn’t take long before a major dealer in the area came calling. They wanted him on their team, and Jensen made them a deal: “Buy me out, give me a full-time position, and I’ll come work for you.” They cut the check, and he took the job. Less than a year later, the shop went under, and Jensen was back to square one.

He opened another shop but still felt the itch to go racing. Over the years, he’d built a relationship with Star Racing’s Brad Hoffman, who had always hinted at a job for him. One particularly cold Washington winter, Jensen and his wife dreamt of the warmth of Southern California. So, he called Brad. “Let’s try it. If it doesn’t work, I can always open another shop.”

Jensen moved in with Brad for Supercross season, leaving his wife and kids back home. That season, he started wrenching for Weston Peick and finished the year with Gareth Swanepoel—who’s now Star Racing’s trainer. The travel-heavy lifestyle of a mechanic and salary at the time, made raising a family tough. So, when Jensen was home in Washington for the holidays, he stumbled into an opportunity at JMC Motorsports. He jumped at it and made the move back to Washington.

JMC quickly became a powerhouse dealership in the Northwest, and with Jensen building race bikes for Spokane’s Chris Howell and Noah McConahy, they rapidly formed a Supercross team. From a couple of pop-ups and Sprinter vans at Anaheim 1, the team grew to a full semi-truck operation within a few years.

Then COVID hit, and the industry changed overnight. Dealerships were selling out of bikes, parts were scarce, and running a race team no longer made sense as advertising. That’s when Jensen picked up the phone and called Brad Hoffman again.

Becoming Team Manager

In late 2021, Star Racing was preparing to move to the GOAT Farm in Cairo, Georgia, which would serve as the teams own training facility. Brad told Jensen that he had too much experience to just be a mechanic and to call Bobby Regan and tell him you want to be crew chief.

Two days before Hangtown, Bobby returned Jensen’s call: “Son, are you going to Hangtown?” Jensen packed up his truck, grabbed his son, and drove to the race. Between motos, Bobby made it clear: “Boy, we’ve never had a crew chief, and we’re not about to have one. We’re short on mechanics. You see all those bikes?” pointing out the window of the semi. “Which one do you want?”

Justin Cooper had just won the 250SX West Region title and was battling Jett Lawrence in the Pro Motocross Championship. Jensen selected Cooper. Not long after, Seth Rarick, who was the team manager, left for KTM leaving a vacancy at the position. Brad made another pitch: Jensen for team manager.

“In this industry, things move fast,” Jensen said. “You don’t have time to sit and think about whether you want an opportunity—you just take it.”

Within weeks, he went from planning to work with Christian Craig to wrenching for Cooper to leading one of the most dominant 250 teams in the sport.

The Present & Future

Now in his fourth year at Star, Jensen is as committed as ever. Haiden Deegan’s early struggles this season turned into a podium-topping performance at Anaheim 2, a result that was especially gratifying. “It’s a really great feeling when you put in that much effort during the week and then see it pay off,” Jensen said. “We know what he’s capable of, and just to see that happen was awesome.”

Rookie Cole Davies also grabbed his first podium. “The kid is unbelievable. He has such a unique style—smooth and effortless, but fast. He’s got ice in his veins; he doesn’t let nerves affect him.”

At the time of this interview the 250SX East Region had yet to kick off, but Jensen was eager to see how the other half of his roster performs, particularly Max Anstie’s blistering whoop speed and the much-anticipated Star Racing debut of Pierce Brown.

Fast forward to Tampa, where Peirce was leading the main event before going down hard in the whoops, fracturing his T5 vertebrae. He underwent surgery last Sunday to get it fixed so that he can make a full recovery and return to racing. Max Anstie took the top step in Tampa, with Daxton Bennick coming in second.

“It was a rollercoaster night for sure in Tampa,” Jensen said in a team press release following the race. “It was a really good night to kick off the East Coast. To end up on the top two spots on the podium with Max and Dax was great.”

The Calm in the Chaos

Jensen Hendler was made for this. His calm demeanor, relentless work ethic, and ability to make things happen quickly have carried him from a kid in the orchards of Washington to one of the most influential figures in the sport.

In 2022, when Christian Craig rolled onto the floor at Angel Stadium, Jensen walked out alongside him, then paused before heading to the managers’ tower. He teared up, realizing it had been exactly 20 years since he first stepped foot on that floor—just a kid trying to make it in this industry.

Now, he’s running one of the most dominant teams in the paddock.

And if history is any indication, he’s just getting started.

Images: VurbWes / 2025 Tampa Supercross