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Europeans dominated the early years of the Trans-AMA series, but in 1975 at the Road Atlanta round, two Americans stole the show.
By Kent Taylor
In Norse mythology, Valhalla is a celestial place reserved for only the mightiest of Vikings. Here, the god Odin welcomes those who he deems worthy of sharing the afterlife with him, and together they spend eternity in battle, an ideal heaven for any Viking worth his grog. These fabled warriors’ voices can be heard in Led Zeppelin’s “The Immigrant Song” in the lyrics, “The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands, to fight the horde, sing and cry, Valhalla, I am coming.”
On this side of Valhalla, there are few things in this world that are better for off-road warriors than motocross in the autumn season. Cooler temps, changing colors and the realization that, at least for folks in most parts of the country, their dirt bikes will soon be silenced by the hammer of old man winter all help bring about a rejuvenated appreciation for moto.
For a few years, America was blessed to have the sport’s very best ride in the Trans-AMA series, the fall series that stretched out over nearly three months at tracks across the country. In 1975, the Trans-AMA kicked off in Flowery Branch, Georgia, at the Road Atlanta MX track. It would wind its way across the USA, from Georgia to New York to California, with Midwest whistle stops along the way. The Trans-AMA was truly an American series.
But perhaps in name only, because, at the time, no American had ever actually been crowned Trans-AMA champion. In fact, only one Yankee, Jim Weinert, had ever even won a series’ race, back in 1973. Weinert had been waiting nearly two years for another American to join him in his lonely club.
When the first moto gate dropped at Road Atlanta on September 28, 1975, it was Brad Lackey on his Husqvarna leading the way, with Gary Semics, Marty Smith, Gaylon Mosier and Weinert following. A bit farther back in the pack was Bultaco’s Jim Pomeroy. Quickly slicing his way through the field, he was soon on Lackey’s rear fender.
At that time in MX history, the title of Motocross World Champion meant what it said, so two racers who wanted to be the best left these American shores and headed to Europe, where the Grands Prix wars were being waged. Brad Lackey and Jim Pomeroy left behind easy pickings in America and took their lumps, eating roost from Roger DeCoster, Gerrit Wolsink, Heikki Mikkola, Joel Robert and other European stars, hoping to someday become World champions themselves.
Now back in their homeland, it was clear that the two men had learned much from their masters, and they were now serving up earthy roosts of their own to both DeCoster and Wolsink. Lackey led at the 30-minute point (40 minutes, plus two laps in the good old days) but Pomeroy was threatening, and “on the long front section of the track right before the largest crowd of spectators, he squeezed past Lackey.”
Husqvarna versus Bultaco—and the battle wasn’t over. “Brad gave no ground, holding tight to Pomeroy’s rear fender, but on the next lap, while he was trying an inside line to get under the Bultaco, Lackey crashed. By this time, the pair had pushed so far ahead of the others that Lackey was able to remount and maintain his second place.”
The “others” included Marty Smith in third place and DeCoster in fourth, with Maico rider Gaylon Mosier in fifth. That is how they finished, and after a break for a 250cc support class moto (won by Can-Am rider Jimmy Ellis), the international stars returned to the gate for the decisive second moto.
Roger DeCoster would win five World Championships and four Trans-AMA titles during his long career, so expecting these young Americans to deny him a victory of some sort was a tall order. Lackey would again lead early but would soon be passed by DeCoster’s Suzuki teammate, Wolsink, who would hold the top position for about 30 minutes before DeCoster swooped by. The Belgian rider raced to a commanding win, but his 4-1 combo was only good enough for second overall. Jim Pomeroy, with a 1-3 on the day, was the overall winner.
Mechanical difficulties would plague Pomeroy for much of the ’75 series, and problems with his Bultaco continued into 1976. In 1977, he was successfully wooed to Team Honda. “I can win a World championship on this bike,” he said, sitting astride a works Honda RC250.
With the promise of eventually being allowed to return to Europe, Pomeroy raced the AMA’s Motocross and Supercross series in 1977 and ’78. When Honda powers changed their minds, however, Pomeroy returned to the Grand Prix circuit with a KTM ride—briefly. Bultaco execs intercepted their prodigal son at the airport and re-signed him to the Spanish marque.
Jim Pomeroy continued to race vintage motocross into his 50s before losing his life in an auto accident in 2006. Fellow Trans-AMA stars Gaylon Mosier and Marty Smith are also gone from this world. If there is a Norse god of motocross, he has found three mighty fallen warriors to help fight the horde and to drive ships into new lands. Valhalla! CN
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