Jim Pomeroy (16 November 1952 - 6 August 2006) is a professional American motocross racer. He is known as the first American competitor to win overall victory in the FIM Motocross World Championship Grand Prix.
Video Jim Pomeroy (motocross)
Professional racing career
Born in Sunnyside, Washington, the Pomeroy family moved to Yakima, Washington shortly after he was born. His father owns a motorcycle shop that has hired Evel Knievel before he becomes a brave acrobatic rider. Pomeroy began to race professionally in Canada to avoid the 18-year-old age limit of the American Motorcyclist Association and eventually won the Western Canada Championship. He made his AMA debut in 1970 and posted the sixth finish in the support race of the 1970 trans-AMA motocross series in Washington. In 1972 he competed in the inaugural AMA Motocross National Championship. He won the 250cc season race at Saddleback Park in California before, switched to the 500cc class where he finished the 1972 season in fifth place overall. His appearance earned him the support of the Bultaco factory through the local Bultaco concession. He was offered the chance to compete in some of the world's best Grand Prix championships in Europe and he is ready to take them.
In the early 1970s, European riders still dominated motocross sports and Americans were not considered gifted for lack of experience. Pomeroy arrived in Europe as an unknown and then began to shock the motorcycle world by boarding his personal car Bultaco to a disappointing triumph in the Spanish motorcross Grand Prix of 2503. The news of his unexpected victory created a huge wave of excitement in the American motorcycle community where motocross experiences explosive popularity. His victory hinted that American motocross racers are ready to compete with the best in the world. The Bultaco factory quickly hired him to remain in Europe to compete in the 250cc motorcross world championship. Pomeroy continued to race for Bultaco in the world championship until 1976 when he posted the highest finish in fourth place with the best racers in the world. He also posted another impressive result in the 1975 TrophÃÆ' Â © e des Nations where he won a race in which he defeated the ruling 500cc world champion Roger De Coster.
Despite his success at the world championship, Pomeroy received a contract offer to race for Honda at the AMA national championship in 1977. He started the season finishing second to Bob Hannah in the 1977 Supercross championship and, followed by a third finish in the 250cc national championship standings behind Tony DiStefano and Marty Smith. Also in 1977, Pomeroy became the first American competitor to win a motto at the 500cc United States Motocross Grand Prix. After a seasonal injury hit in 1978, Pomeroy returned to Europe in 1979 to compete for Bultaco at the world championships. Unfortunately, the Bultaco factory was in financial trouble and closed a few months later. He then switched to compete for the Beta factory team however, their bikes proved to be too fragile and unreliable for the motocross perseverance of the world championships.
Maps Jim Pomeroy (motocross)
Post-race careers
In 1980, the injury began to make physical casualties in his body and Pomeroy made the decision to retire from the competition. He continued his engagement in motocross sport by doing motocross school and by participating in the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association event involving antique motorcycles. Pomeroy was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.
On August 6, 2006, Pomeroy was killed when his Jeep rolled in a vehicle accident near Yakima, Washington.
Career Highlights
- The first American to win the FIM Motocross World Championship Event (Spain 1973)
- The first rider to win the World Championship Motocross Grand Prix (Spain 1973)
- The first American to lead the Motocross World Championships (Spain 1973)
- The first rider to win a World Motocross Grand Prix with a Spanish motorcycle (Bultaco)
- The first winner of the indoor Supercross race (Houston, 1974)
- The first American to lead the Trans-AMA Championship (1975)
- The first American to win a motto at the 500cc United States Motocross Grand Prix (Carlsbad 1977)
- The first non-world winner to win the TrophÃÆ' Â © e des Nations (1975)
Motocross Grand Prix Results
- 1973 Motocross World Championships 250cc - 7th (Bultaco)
- 1974 250cc World Motocross Championship - 14 (Bultaco)
- 1975 250cc World Motocross Championships - 7 (Bultaco)
- 1976 250cc World Championship Motocross - 4th (Bultaco)
- 1977 250cc AMA Motocross National Championship - 3rd (Honda)
- 1978 250cc AMA Motocross National Championship - 5th (Honda)
References
External links
- Hall of Fame Motorcycle, biography
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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