SAD NEWS AHRMA

[Dwight Rudder]

Just received some sad news some of you might want to hear.
I don't know the exact details but Jim Pomeroy just died in a car accident.
All I know is that he was riding in his Jeep along with his young daughter
and that he ran of the road when he went to pick up his glasses from the
floorboard. His daughter was unharmed.
Jim was an awesome guy always the life of the
party at many AHRMA events.
I will miss his continuous smile.  I just spoke with him several times at VMD and at the Hodaka area.  A super nice guy.
Godspeed Bimbo,
Dwight:(

Dwight Rudder
7 time ISDT / E medalist
8 time National Enduro Class Champion.

[Larry Perkins]

Such sad news.  The ind you read and say, "NO".  I too spoke with Jim several times at VMD and he gave me my Third place plaque in VMX there.  He made comments of how cool my Cotton was.  Jim seemed to always have a smile.  

Many of us are old enough to remember when we would look in Cycle News to see who the winners were and then further down the list to see who first American was.  Then Jim came along and first American was up at the top of the list.  He first gave us pride and then gave many of us hope that we could win against the Euros.  That led to a new generation of MXers that believed Americans could win.  We did and now we dominate MX.  Jim Pomeroy was a trailblazer.  

Jim was infectiously funny and as Dwight said the life of the party.  Another thing he did was that when he came to AHRMA racing he took it serious and worked at winning Championships.  This helped give our VMX racing a sense of legitimacy to Modern racers and the normal MX community.  He was a great ambassador for our sport. I am honored to have shared the track with him in the spring and the fall of my life.  I am saddened that it will not be possible to do so as somewhere in the future the winter of my life comes.

Somwhere in time there will always be a moment when the young Texan I was, looks at the cover of Cycle News and declares to all within earshot, "We did it.  We beat the Europeans.  Pomeroy won a GP!"

Godspeed Bimbo!  Even though you are gone you will not be forgotten.

Larry P

[tlanders]

I heard that Jamie, his daughter, was in critical condition. I pray you are right and she is not hurt.

Teddy

[Dwight Rudder]

She was treated for minor injuries and released from the Hospital.


From the YakimaHerald.com Online News. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Published on Monday, August 7, 2006 Printable Version  E-mail to a Friend Motocross pioneer Jim Pomeroy dies in auto accident By JESSICA WAMBACH YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC The motorcycling world today is mourning the death of a Yakima man who changed the face of U.S. motocross. Jim Pomeroy, known for being the first American to win a World Championship Motocross event, died Sunday morning while driving near Tampico. "When the book of motocross is written, Jim Pomeroy will be in the first chapter," said Bill Grubin, owner of Grubin and Company motorcycle shop on Fruitvale Boulevard. Pomeroy, 53, was driving west on Ahtanum Road with his 9-year-old daughter, Jamie, about 10:45 a.m. Sunday. He was 15 miles west of Yakima when he left the road, according to a news release from the Washington State Patrol. His 1979 Jeep CJ5 struck a telephone pole guy wire and came to rest on its side. Pomeroy died at the scene. His daughter sustained minor injuries; she was treated and released from Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital. The cause of the accident was driver inattention, according to the news release. Pomeroy lived in Yakima with his wife, Linda, and their daughter. He came from a long line of motocross racers and his father, Don, who died last year, owned Pomeroy Cycle Shop in Sunnyside and Yakima for many years. Pomeroy, who was born in Sunnyside, gained fame in 1973 when at the age of 20 he became the first person to win his debut world championship event, the Spanish Grand Prix. It was the first American victory at a world Grand Prix event, and Pomeroy took the lead in the overall World Motocross Championships that year. "Up until that point the Europeans dominated the world in the sport of motocross or motorcycling," Grubin said. "Once Jim Pomeroy won that race, he changed the face of motorcycling in the United States forever." Winning many more important races before he retired from professional motocross in 1980, Pomeroy helped the United States come to dominate the motocross scene. After retiring, he remained active in the sport by working with young riders at motocross schools. In 1999, the American Motorcyclist Association celebrated Pomeroy's success by inducting him into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. "He was my childhood hero," said Grubin, a friend of Pomeroy's since the two met in Yakima in 1989. "I was driving down the road one day with a Bultaco Pursang (motocross bike)," Grubin said. "I had it in the back of my pickup and he ran me down and said, 'Where did you get that bike?'" Although Pomeroy's name is recognizable to any serious motocross fan worldwide, he never had much attention at home in the Yakima Valley, Grubin said. "Jim wasn't the kind of guy who wanted the spotlight," he said. "He made no enemies in the motocross world."

Dwight Rudder
7 time ISDT / E medalist
8 time National Enduro Class Champion.

[wildman]

I had of course heard of Jim Pomeroy from the old days and was at Portland vintage races last year where he was giving his riding school and signing posters. I was too shy to introduce myself so my wife and I got some lunch and sat at the covered picnic tables to eat. Who should come over to eat his burger at the same table but the man himself. We talked for a while about his school and he signed a poster for both me and one I gave to Bob Wardlow. Mine is signed "get sideways" and Bobs says "keep sideways" When I went to tech at Mid-Ohio I didn't bring my helmet and had to run back to the van to get it. When I returned there was Jim and my wife Marilyn talking over the fence. He remembered us from Portland and commented that my bike looked good. We talked about his school and the problems with insurance coverage and urged us to talk to AHRMA to work with him (and we did!) I have a picture still in my camera to be developed of him giving me my trophy with a big smile and trademark "thumbs-up". I later saw him Sunday at the Hughs Bultaco swapmeet area and said Hello.
I only last night looked up his website to see if any more schools would be given in my area and saw only one more to be in Washington and thought " well, maybe next year"
I brought up the AHRMA website this morning and saw a smiling picture of Jim and thought "Cool, the Mid-Ohio coverage is up." Paging down, I saw the shocking caption. A serious bummer.
Hard to believe, gone just like that.  May he rest in peace.
Dan Pagel

1975 250 Cross Country, 1974 175 Jackpiner, 1975 125

[rfpotter]

To those who may be in a position to attend, there is an announcement concerning Jim Pomeroy's funeral (Friday) and memorial service (Saturday) on the Cycle News website. It has specific information and a contact number for the funeral home in charge.

God bless the family in their time of need.

Patrick Houston

[lobo6y]

AHRMA Members, POGers,

Jim was a true inspiration in American Moto Cross. He was indeed the "First American", and he allowed all the rest of us to realize we (Americans) could compete. Some of us just supported him and our riders, other Americans took the inspiration and went on to dominate world MX.

Perhaps more importantly, Jim was a genuine man who treated everyone with respect and true pleasure in meeting them and sharing their opinions and thoughts.

Everyone Jim met thought they had made a true friend of a "famous" person - and the best part of it is - they had! He was the real deal and we will miss him tremendously.

Unpretentious, gregarious, concerned with others, life loving and competitve, that's the Bimbo I will remember. With God's Speed, Jim... to heaven.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jim's family.

In addition to the memorial services in Yakima this weekend, there will be a tribute at the Chehalis AHRMA National Vintage MX at the riders meeting on Sunday. Jim was a regular at this race since his return to racing and his AHRMA family will be mourning the loss and celebrating his life by racing the bikes and era he loved!

Dave Janiec
AHRMA

[thrownchain]

If you go to Jim's Obit listing, at the end there is a address to help out his daughter. I know we as a group will give generously. I didn't have the chance to meet him in person, but he touched alot of people in a good way, so helping his family would be a good way to pay respects to the man................God's speed Jim............we already miss you.