Cycle News Staff | August 6, 2024
A true pioneer in the sport of motocross and supercross has died. William (Bill) Carroll West, 88, passed away on July 28, 2024, after a lengthy illness.
Motocross and supercross promoter Bill West (center) passed away at the age of 88.
Born in Clarksville, Tennessee, in 1936, Bill West was a member of the U.S. Army in the 1950s, stationed in Germany. After his service, West was working for Florida Power when he bought his first motorcycle, a Honda 100 Scrambler. With a growing passion for both cars and motorcycles, he opened his own shop in St. Petersburg called Cycle Village. He also began competing in flat track, enduro and motocross events, even though he was well into his 30s. He soon ventured into motorsports promotions, where he found his true calling, and began creating and producing events that helped shape the entire motorsports world as we know it today.
West’s first venture was the Florida Winter-Am Series, which he co-created with a fellow enthusiast named Russ Coe. Within a few years, it became one of the most competitive and prestigious series in the entire sport.
In 1971, West helped convince Daytona International Speedway into adding a motocross event on their infield that would run in conjunction with the Daytona 200 and serve as the final round of his Winter-Am tour. That event morphed into the Daytona Supercross, what is now the centerpiece of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship. In that same year he began organizing a youth event called the Winter Olympiad, a multi-discipline event run over the Thanksgiving holiday week that is now referred to as the Mini O’s and continues to be the single largest amateur competition in the sport, with more than 6000 entries just last year.
Next for Bill West was Pro Motocross, as he began hosting Southeastern rounds of that AMA-sanctioned series at tracks like Sunshine Speedway in St. Petersburg, Road Atlanta and Gatorback Cycle Park in Gainesville. The success of those events and many other ventures led West to create SuperSports, one of the most highly respected motorsports promotional businesses in the world.
And when Supercross began its expansion, West hosted rounds of the series inside stadiums of cities like Atlanta, Orlando, Tampa, Miami and more. When the various promoters of the Supercross tour decided to consolidate in the mid-’90s under one roof, West’s World Sports company became a part of Pace Motorsports, and eventually became what is now Feld Entertainment. West served as an advisor for both supercross/motocross and monster truck events for the rest of his life.
“Through his ground-breaking events and ideas, Bill West introduced countless new fans and participants to motorcycle racing,” said Davey Coombs, President of MX Sports Pro Racing. “He was an incredible role model and mentor to many of us now involved in Monster Energy Supercross, AMA Pro Motocross and the new SuperMotocross World Championship. His contributions to each of these championships, as well as many of the major youth and amateur racing events across the country, will never be forgotten. Bill was one of the true pillars of American motorcycle racing.”
Bill is survived by his partner of 44 years, Sherry Dye, and daughters Holly Foerch, Rebecca West and Amy West, all from St. Petersburg, along with brothers Bob West and Jerry West; sister Vicki West; Sherry’s son, David Dye, and grandson Lawson.CN
