Wes Cooley (motorcyclist)
Encyclopedia
Wester Steven Cooley, better known as Wes, was a motorcycle
road racer
in the AMA Superbike
class. He won the 1979 and 1980 AMA Superbike
Championships on a Yoshimura
Suzuki GS1000s.
Cooley got his start on the Southern California
club racing scene where his father ran a club racing organization. He honed his skills in the smaller classes before being hired by Pops Yoshimura
to race a Kawasaki Z1000
in the newly formed AMA production class. He won his first AMA superbike race in 1977. For the 1978 season, Yoshimura switched to better handling Suzuki
bikes and Cooley began winning regularly. He teamed up with Mike Baldwin
to win the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours
race in Japan. In 1980, he teamed up with Graeme Crosby
to win at Suzuka a second time. Cooley went on to win his first superbike national championship in 1979. He successfully defended his crown in 1980 by fighting off future Hall of Famers Eddie Lawson
on a Kawasaki
and Freddie Spencer
on a Honda
.
In 1985 Cooley suffered life threatening injuries in a crash at Sears Point Raceway
. He eventually recovered to race again but he was never able to recapture his form. After his retirement from racing, he worked as an instructor at a riding school before taking up a career in the medical profession. Cooley was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
in 2004.
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
road racer
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
in the AMA Superbike
AMA Superbike
AMA Pro Superbike is the premiere superbike racing series in the United States. It is part of the AMA Pro Racing series which was sold to and is managed by the Daytona Motorsports Group...
class. He won the 1979 and 1980 AMA Superbike
AMA Superbike
AMA Pro Superbike is the premiere superbike racing series in the United States. It is part of the AMA Pro Racing series which was sold to and is managed by the Daytona Motorsports Group...
Championships on a Yoshimura
Pops Yoshimura
Hideo "Pops" Yoshimura was a motorcycle tuner, race team owner and manufacturer of speciality motorcycle accessories. He is remembered for his ties to the beginnings of AMA Superbike racing and the Suzuki factory racing team...
Suzuki GS1000s.
Cooley got his start on the Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
club racing scene where his father ran a club racing organization. He honed his skills in the smaller classes before being hired by Pops Yoshimura
Pops Yoshimura
Hideo "Pops" Yoshimura was a motorcycle tuner, race team owner and manufacturer of speciality motorcycle accessories. He is remembered for his ties to the beginnings of AMA Superbike racing and the Suzuki factory racing team...
to race a Kawasaki Z1000
Kawasaki Z1000
The Kawasaki Z1000 is a four-cylinder motorcycle in the streetfighter or standard style.-History:Kawasaki introduced the Z1 motorcycle in 1972. Four years later they introduced the Kz900. The original Kawasaki Z1 was the first series of Japanese motorcycles with the combination of four cylinders,...
in the newly formed AMA production class. He won his first AMA superbike race in 1977. For the 1978 season, Yoshimura switched to better handling Suzuki
Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
bikes and Cooley began winning regularly. He teamed up with Mike Baldwin
Mike Baldwin (motorcyclist)
Mike Baldwin is a former motorcycle road racer. He was a top contender in AMA Superbike racing during the 1980s who also competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing....
to win the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours
Suzuka 8 Hours
The is a motorcycle endurance race held at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan each year. As the name implies, the race runs for eight hours consecutively and teams are composed of two riders and one alternate.-History:...
race in Japan. In 1980, he teamed up with Graeme Crosby
Graeme Crosby
Graeme Crosby is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from New Zealand. A supremely versatile rider, Crosby holds the distinction of having won the Daytona 200, the Imola 200, the Suzuka 8 Hours, and the Isle of Man TT....
to win at Suzuka a second time. Cooley went on to win his first superbike national championship in 1979. He successfully defended his crown in 1980 by fighting off future Hall of Famers Eddie Lawson
Eddie Lawson
Eddie Lawson is a former four-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion. His penchant for not crashing & consistently finishing in the points earned him the nickname "Steady Eddie".-Biography:...
on a Kawasaki
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....
and Freddie Spencer
Freddie Spencer
Freddie Spencer , known by the nickname Fast Freddie, is an American former World Champion motorcycle racer. Spencer is regarded as one of the greatest motorcycle racers of the early 1980s.-Biography:...
on a Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
.
In 1985 Cooley suffered life threatening injuries in a crash at Sears Point Raceway
Infineon Raceway
Infineon Raceway, formerly Sears Point Raceway, is a road course and drag strip located on the landform known as Sears Point in the southern Sonoma Mountains near Sonoma, California, USA. The course is a complex series of twists and turns that go up and down the hills...
. He eventually recovered to race again but he was never able to recapture his form. After his retirement from racing, he worked as an instructor at a riding school before taking up a career in the medical profession. Cooley was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
Motorcycle Hall of Fame
The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is an offshoot of the American Motorcyclist Association that recognizes individuals who have contributed to motorcycle sport, motorcycle construction and motorcycling in general. It displays motorcycles and riding gear and memoribilia. The museum is located in...
in 2004.