The Day The Universe Changed
By Shawn McDonald
In Spain 30 years ago, on April 6, 1973, a lone American from the Wild West changed the motorcycle racing world. Just barely 20 years old, this lanky American came from a small arid town in the Northwest called Yakima, which was best known for growing apples and dust.
Jim Pomeroy was one of the fastest NW racers at the time, and beginning to make a name for himself on the US national circuit. You could argue that he was the best US racer, never mind the best in the north-west. Jim had finished in second place at the first Superbowl of Motocross behind 16-year-old Marty Tripes, and had been part of the US Motocross des Nations Team with Brad Lackey in 1972, when they finished sixth overall.
University Honda and Terry Saxlund sponsored Jim on his Bultaco throughout the local and national scene. Through Terry and a Bultaco support program, Jim was able to travel to Europe for his second time and race in his first 250cc World Championship MX Grand Prix in Spain. Underneath Jim’s #26 bib he was wearing his traditional Torsten Hallman chest protector, with the University Honda logo on the front. It was to be only a one-off ride for experience, as Jim was signed to race in the US National MX championships starting the following weekend, on April 13.
In the first moto Jim used an American style of riding to upset the Europeans, using the high line and basically flat tracking it wide open around the corners. The European riding style was to stay close in on the apex of corners. Jim just flew around the outside of them. He won the first moto he entered, the first moto of the year, and became the first American ever to win a moto. In the second moto Jim kept it up, and finished fourth. The first place trophy was given to West German Hans Maisch (Maisch of the Maico Motorcycle Company), based upon his overall results of a third in the first moto and a second in the second. The trophy was handed to Maisch based on the 1972 rules, which gave the GP win on overall results. But the rules had changed for 1973, to give points for each moto to determine the overall GP win. By the time they figured out who’d actually won, the first place trophy had gone with Maisch back to Germany – but Jim Pomeroy was the first American to win a World Championship Motocross Grand Prix.
He didn’t return home after the race: the Bultaco factory ripped up his contract and signed him to race the entire World 250cc Championship. The next weekend he finished third, and was leading the points. Europeans such as Joel Robert, Hakkan Anderson, Hans Maisch and many others now came up to Jim and talked to him, treating him as an equal instead of some strange oddity from across the seas.
At this time America was not considered a second rate country in MX power. It was regarded more as a fifth rate power, at best. In one swift race Jim Pomeroy overturned the idea that the Americans were not equal to the mighty Europeans. Not only had he beat them in a World Championship event, he had beat them in their back yard.
When the news hit American shores most racers were left without words to describe how or what they felt. To some it must have seemed a fluke that one of them could do that to the vaunted European MX Gods. To others it was the first sign we could do something, and it restored America’s pride in itself. We were no longer the little orphans begging for scraps at the master’s table. We now sat with the masters of MX.
This win gave new hope to Brad Lackey, who had been campaigning the 500cc World Championship and who would, some nine years later, become the first American to win a World MX Championship. It gave hope to a brand new type of American MXer in that their goal became not just to be the top American racer, but the top racer in the world. From now on we would no longer settle for second best. Jim Pomeroy had toppled the European motocross wall. When Jim and Brad came home to race the Trans-Am Series, everyone – including future racers – could see that these Yankees were as good as it gets. The ripple reached tidal wave proportions in 1981, when the US won the MX and Trophée des Nations, and in 1982 when Brad Lackey and Danny LaPorte won the 500cc and the 250cc World MX Championship.
By Shawn McDonald
In Spain 30 years ago, on April 6, 1973, a lone American from the Wild West changed the motorcycle racing world. Just barely 20 years old, this lanky American came from a small arid town in the Northwest called Yakima, which was best known for growing apples and dust.
Jim Pomeroy was one of the fastest NW racers at the time, and beginning to make a name for himself on the US national circuit. You could argue that he was the best US racer, never mind the best in the north-west. Jim had finished in second place at the first Superbowl of Motocross behind 16-year-old Marty Tripes, and had been part of the US Motocross des Nations Team with Brad Lackey in 1972, when they finished sixth overall.
University Honda and Terry Saxlund sponsored Jim on his Bultaco throughout the local and national scene. Through Terry and a Bultaco support program, Jim was able to travel to Europe for his second time and race in his first 250cc World Championship MX Grand Prix in Spain. Underneath Jim’s #26 bib he was wearing his traditional Torsten Hallman chest protector, with the University Honda logo on the front. It was to be only a one-off ride for experience, as Jim was signed to race in the US National MX championships starting the following weekend, on April 13.
In the first moto Jim used an American style of riding to upset the Europeans, using the high line and basically flat tracking it wide open around the corners. The European riding style was to stay close in on the apex of corners. Jim just flew around the outside of them. He won the first moto he entered, the first moto of the year, and became the first American ever to win a moto. In the second moto Jim kept it up, and finished fourth. The first place trophy was given to West German Hans Maisch (Maisch of the Maico Motorcycle Company), based upon his overall results of a third in the first moto and a second in the second. The trophy was handed to Maisch based on the 1972 rules, which gave the GP win on overall results. But the rules had changed for 1973, to give points for each moto to determine the overall GP win. By the time they figured out who’d actually won, the first place trophy had gone with Maisch back to Germany – but Jim Pomeroy was the first American to win a World Championship Motocross Grand Prix.
He didn’t return home after the race: the Bultaco factory ripped up his contract and signed him to race the entire World 250cc Championship. The next weekend he finished third, and was leading the points. Europeans such as Joel Robert, Hakkan Anderson, Hans Maisch and many others now came up to Jim and talked to him, treating him as an equal instead of some strange oddity from across the seas.
At this time America was not considered a second rate country in MX power. It was regarded more as a fifth rate power, at best. In one swift race Jim Pomeroy overturned the idea that the Americans were not equal to the mighty Europeans. Not only had he beat them in a World Championship event, he had beat them in their back yard.
When the news hit American shores most racers were left without words to describe how or what they felt. To some it must have seemed a fluke that one of them could do that to the vaunted European MX Gods. To others it was the first sign we could do something, and it restored America’s pride in itself. We were no longer the little orphans begging for scraps at the master’s table. We now sat with the masters of MX.
This win gave new hope to Brad Lackey, who had been campaigning the 500cc World Championship and who would, some nine years later, become the first American to win a World MX Championship. It gave hope to a brand new type of American MXer in that their goal became not just to be the top American racer, but the top racer in the world. From now on we would no longer settle for second best. Jim Pomeroy had toppled the European motocross wall. When Jim and Brad came home to race the Trans-Am Series, everyone – including future racers – could see that these Yankees were as good as it gets. The ripple reached tidal wave proportions in 1981, when the US won the MX and Trophée des Nations, and in 1982 when Brad Lackey and Danny LaPorte won the 500cc and the 250cc World MX Championship.
