Jim Pomeroy

[Randy Lamp]

I hesitate to post this,because many of you really new him well, but I wanted share a short story of my only  encounter with Jim Pomeroy.

I went down to this past Mid- Ohio event to pick up a 250 Penton I had purchased and to watch as much of the moto cross racing as I could. I was with my nephew who is now grown up with a family of his own ,but when he was little his dad would sometimes bring him to some of the local moto cross races that I competed in. We were having a great time just looking at all the old bikes and the folks that were racing them as well as soaking up the atmosphere. We walked up to the staging area ,and standing there between all the other racers was Jim Pomeroy.

Even after thirty - five years or so ,of being away from this sport, seeing him was a pretty big deal to me. I'm not an autograph seeking kind of person ,nor would I ever bother anyone of any fame in public. But it was pretty cool to see him ready to race after all those years. We watched as he joked with the other guys , and offerd encouragement to them. He had a big smile on his face and if I remember correctly said , " lets go out there and have some fun".

As we walked away to watch the start, I told my nephew about the poster that hung on my garage wall for about twenty years , of Jim Pomeroy on a Bultaco. We were both impressed with him even from such a breif encounter. He had a good start in that race. Pushing hard into the first corner causing him to go wide on the exit. For about the first fifty feet or so out of that turn , he was in second place but passed the rider in front of him and that was that. From that point on it was a class room on how to ride smooth and win a race. At the flag, he gave kind of a thumbs up or arm pump kind of motion , suggesting that he was having a great time and enjoying every minute of it.

Word of his death , would have been sad had I not had this brief encounter with Jim Pomeroy, but I now feel more than a little sad ,that he is no longer with us.

The poster is also gone, but I will remember the time I got a chance to maybe see what the real Jim Pomeroy was all about. That he wasn't just a poster om my garage wall.

[firstturn]

Randy,
  Thanks for sharing your story.  In my opinion Jim Pomeroy had more impact on the success of Vintage Moto X than any other one person.  He made so many trips and always had that big smile and was Mr. Smooth.  Thanks again and good luck on yout new Penton.

Ron Carbaugh

[Big Mac]

We saw Jim at just about every vintage MX event around WA for the past several years. So much so that a lot of us took it for granted that he'd always be there calling the race, being the starter, on the track putting it to the field in an expert race, leading a Bultaco relay team, or smiling and signing "Pomeroy-1st American" t-shirts or posters. Other famous rider-celebrity guys might make a brief appearance at some big event once in awhile, but Jim was a fixture, much like Dick Mann is. Makes it that much more of a shock for us guys in the NW to have lost him.

Jim played both the celebrity role and the regular vintage-guy role equally well and with virtually no ego showing through, always up and always friendly. Who else with a resume like his would volunteer to take the mike and play announcer for 3-4 hours at a local club race, giving accolades and encouragement to the amateur grunt riders and kids on XR75s as they went by?  

He'd also throw down and get dirty without reservation and with no lack of enthusiasm. When he blew the doors off a lot of us guys 10 years younger, he reminded us he was still in a whole different league.

Jim was truly a great all-around guy. Every vintage rider in our region is stunned and saddened.

Jon McLean
Portland, OR

[68victor]

I just received news today of jim's untimly death. I have met him a number of time at the Tacome Motorcycle Club's annual Dino Daze event every June in his home state of Washington. I remember watching him race about three years ago at the tender age of 50 and like Randy said "schooled" the compitition, screaming like a madman going pass me. I met him through Buck Murphy later that night and he was one of the neatest people a young racer could meet. I wll miss his laugh and stories at the future events I attend. The motorcycle world lost a true champion for the sport.

[tomale]

Thanks Randy for the story, I just want to echo what Mac said, it has been really hard this week as we deal with the loss of such a great man. I remember the first time I had met him. I had heard that he was at the race and I kept an eye out for him. I was surprised to hear and exited to know that Jim had actually taken the time to come to a local race.  I had hoped to meet him but I never would have expected what actually happend. I was standing in the pits with several buddies and we were laughing and telling stories when who should come up to us but the man himself.. he stepped up and put his hand on my shoulder and I just about fainted, He has always been my hero but that day, he took several huge leaps up in stature to me. I have talked to him on several occasions and he told me stories that I had never heard or read before. Like what happened to Montesa and bultaco and why. It became so often that I would see him that like Mac the uniqueness began to wear off... The last time I saw Jim was at a local race and he was having a hard day, but never did he loose his smile and never did he forget the guys around him or how important they were to him. Jim has alway been this way and it really frustrated the Europeans, He was a fun loving guy but he never forgot those around him, At Chehalis this year at the riders meeting we took several minutes to reflect on our friend Jim and a man stepped up that I did not know, I did not catch his name but he had been a factory rider at the same time Jim was, He related a story when he was on the road to a race. he was traveling with his mechanic and they had gotten into an accident. The mechanic was killed immediatly and he was in a coma, Jim found them just a few minutes after it had happened and stayed with him and caring for him until help came, It was not until some time later that he had found all of this out. He said Jim literally saved my life... such is the man.  Sevaral years ago after Jim started riding vintage bikes again, Jim called this man and got him riding again, he discovered what we have, and old passion rekindled and a family that loved him...ohh that we all could take this and live our lives like that.

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)
75' GS400 (project bike)
72'sixday (project bike)

[bubu13]

I was shocked and saddened by the news of Jim's passing. Although I didn't know him personally, I did have the chance to see him race in SoCal back in the mid 70's. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. Jim was a class act, he will be truly missed.

[Mick Milakovic]

Enough positive words can't describe Jim, or the feelings we all have for him, but I will try my part.  I once had the opportunity to attend one of Jim's clinics.  He made me feel that he really cared about my improvement.  He gave feedback in the form of verbal and written responses.  When it was over, he told all the students that we were now "his" students.  Sure enough, after the races that next day, I was fortunate enought to place and when I took my award he proclaimed "that's one of MY students".  he made me feel like the most important person in the world at that moment.  It chokes me up right now to write this.

As if that wasn't enough he told me that from then on, any time I had a question about a particular section of a track at a race where he was, then just come over and ask him and he'd go over it with me.  Sure to his word, he fulfilled that promise to me at the next national.  I, my family, AHRMA, and all the world have lost a personal friend.  Godspeed Jim, I'll see you in the future.