Since I'm stuck out here on the left coast and can't make it to any MA region races, I'm just wondering if any of the old gang are still out there thrashing it. If you have any details on any of these guys, please post them up Jeff Atwell Glenn Szarek Kurt Hall Evan Semoff Rick Steffey Mike Hausknecht Rick Bair Jari Wallach Devin Battley Jim Roth Jim Tribou Chris Taylor Burke Meyers Thanks
Atwell raced last year at Summit Szarek comes out but has retired Kurt is working for an architect on HHI Evan comes out to Summit and hangs, races occasionally but only the National Devin still races and owns the shop Jim Rtoh races and is an official at Summit Jim Tirbou sadly died last year but was working as an official until then Thems the ones I know for sure.
Aww Hell----- What about my man BRIAN LANTZ???? Mongo-What about ole "Crazy Check" Jerry Hughs, and A.J Cates?
Yea, Boonie had the RG500 Gamma, then there was the guy with the TZ500 Yammie - real 500 GP bikes at the WERA NC races!!
Was he WERA? He was my favorite AMA racer back in the day, along with Ron Pierce. Those old Yosh Zook GS1000's were brutally awesome. I don't recall Wes Cooley running any WERA, but I was mostly east coast. Anyone remember Patrick O'Leary?
i'v heard my dad (luther wikle) talk about wess coley, not sure if he was friends or just raced in the same years.......i'll ask him about it
what a coincidence....i just ran into a guy named terry cook today at work.... i think he raced a (hi hp) hawk in glrra awhile back. anyone know him?
I know I saw him run at Nelson in the wet once and he was faster when it was raining than quite a lot of people in the dry. The guy was absolutely bonkers in the wet, doing wheelies out of 13 for most of the front straight, sliding all over the place....it sure was fun to watch.
Wes rode for Team hammer when we were running WERA Pro Series, Dave Aldana rode with us as well during that time. Dunno whats up with Wes, chillin in Oregon I guess. Jeff James is racing an RZ out of Chicago and still teaching riders school. No clue on Ernie or Boonie but we did run across a guy that ran the Mid-Atlantic stuff from 1976-1980 while we were in Vegas (Ray Hill in case anyone knows him). I told Evelyne that me being a billboard was a good thing. Brian is a plumber here in the ATL, opened his own company a year or so ago, still riding but it's a pimped out Road King Haven't heard from Jerry or AJ.
I think I first saw Wes at Talledega in 1987 running w/Hammer. He wasn't the fastest guy out there but he was the most famous. Everyone wanted to say I passed Wes. I think the fastest guys that day were; Kurt Hall, Human Race Team (I still have Human Race Team Stickers) and Scott Russell on the Solmax FZR 750. Poor Wes walked like Evil Kinevil or Kevin Rentzel by that time. For a little guy he could put some beer away. At the end of the day he was always real nice to us "little guys".
Original Cooley Bike I know a guy who has Wes's original Yosh GS 1000 works racer. It is Bitch! I want to ride it in Vintage
I ran into your Dad this summer at Summit Point. I had not seen him since he was endurancing in 1987. He said he quit after Russ Paulk passed away at Sears point. Your dad was riding very well and at age 42 myself he inspired me a bit to look at racing into my 50's as a possibility. Would you please ask your Father to Email me. I would like to see what he is doing for next year and just stay in touch. Thanks, Matt Macheca
I remember seeing Cooley walk around the paddock at Daytona, 1981? His leathers were puuled down around his waist and his arms were so scarred he almost looked like a burn victim. He was the toughest racer around. I still have my old black/red/white Wes Cooley ARAI helmet- foam rotted out. I wish I could get him the sign it. He is still my favorite old school racer. There was a Cycle World article a few years ago that said he is a male nurse somewhere in Oregon. His Dad is/was a politician.
Tracy, Iworked with Jim Knipp for 9 years at Greenwood Honda here in Indiana. He's working parts there still. He bought a Ducati 748 in 99' for his 40th birthday and raced it a few times, tried speedway in 03' and broke his arm and decided to hang it up for good.