Factory Bultaco rider Jim Pomeroy pictured at the starting gate of a race in the mid-1970s. Pomeroy had the distinction of being the first American to win a World Championship Motocross round when he won the Spanish 250cc Grand Prix. In 1976 Pomeroy had his best result in the world championships finishing fourth. That result was good enough to earn him the Man of the Year Award from Motorcyclist Magazine. While a fourth place in the World Championship doesn’t seem to warrant such an accolade, but you have to remember the era. America was going crazy over motocross in the mid-1970s, but the Europeans largely continued to dominate the sport. To have an American rider competitive at the highest level of the sport was big news in those days. Pomeroy passed away in an auto accident in 2006. He is enshrined in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. You can read his bio here.

Factory Bultaco rider Jim Pomeroy pictured at the starting gate of a race in the mid-1970s. (AMA Press Kit photo)