MOTOCROSSER JIM WEST
P94
Feature
famous in the local race scene.
Their sponsors would even run
ads in Cycle News, boasting
when Jim West beat Jim Wilson
and vice versa. An AJS ad made
it clear to wannabe stars (in the
feel-good vernacular of the '70s)
that they needed an AJS: "Make
your own groove," the ad read.
"Jim West does!"
Rivals on the racetrack, friendly
off of it, Wilson says apart from
racing, they never really hung out
together. Jim's racing circle was
small, consisting of himself and
his mechanic Kevin and Susan.
Mostly Susan.
"Those two" recalls Jody Smith
"were inseparable."
"We met in a photography
class at South Pasadena High
School," Susan says today from
her home in Idaho. "He was one
year ahead of me in school. I
wasn't ready for a relationship, so
we were just friends at first, but
I could tell that he had feelings
for me. He was just the nicest,
sweetest person I had ever met.
And he was really tall—six foot
five!"
Ready or not, the relationship
moved forward. Two Southern
California teenagers, hanging
out, drinking beer, smoking pot
and before long, Susan was
with Jim at the racetrack. "I was
hooked on motocross from the
first race. Jim was so talented.
He really was a natural rider. After
the motos, I would ride on the
back of his race bike, putting my
feet under his feet on the pegs
and putting my thumbs inside of
his leathers."
"I started traveling with him in
1973," she continues, "and that
"Then, about 30 years ago, one of the units
caught fire and I lost everything forever. Now,
with the internet, I am seeing so many great
old photos of Jim. It's wonderful that so many
people remember him."
West passed away
following a crash at
Saddleback Park.
Many believe that
had he received
better care in the
hospital, he would
be alive today.
