Lance West

Lance West began racing BMX in 1982 at age twelve. His first race was at Tomahawk Ridge, where officials moved him into the Expert class to make a full gate. That meant his very first gate drop came against experienced riders like Les Rusk and Schwinn’s Wes Cline.

Rather than discouraging him, the experience established the standard Lance would spend the next several years pursuing.

Wes Cline became a mentor, while Cline and Gene Cook became two of the riders Lance continually chased. Trying to catch them was often frustrating, but Lance later recognized what those difficult races had done for him: they made him fast.

During his racing career, Lance represented Continental Bicycles, Midwest Cyclery, and Bicycles USA.

The 1987 Breakthrough

Lance’s breakthrough season came in 1987. He qualified for the East Coast Gold Cup in Nashville, Tennessee, where he won the 17 & Over Expert class. The victory made him the East Coast champion and qualified him for the East–West Shootout, held during the Pro Spectacular on the Friday night before the 1987 ABA Grand Nationals.

Lance represented the East against West Coast champion Mike King. The field included some of the era’s most accomplished racers, including King, Dave Cullinan, and Eric Carter.

Lance’s opportunity ended in the first turn of his qualifying moto when he crashed while running second and missed the main event. According to Roger Wellman, Lance was attempting to pass Mike King around the outside when he went down.

After racing some of the country’s best, Lance believed his regular Tuesday-night class at Blue Springs could be even tougher.

Despite the result, competing on that stage remains one of Lance’s greatest BMX experiences. What surprised him most was how familiar the level of competition felt.

That local gate included Lance West, Gene Cook, Wes Cline, Mike Lucas, Bryan Jones, Roger Wellman, and several other strong Kansas City-area racers. Those weekly battles prepared Lance for national competition and became some of his favorite memories from the sport.

A Different Path

After the 1987 Grand Nationals, Lance entered discussions with ELF Bicycles about sponsorship and the possibility of turning professional. His father then became ill, and life took Lance in another direction. Although the professional opportunity was left unexplored, Lance continued racing periodically until his final race in 1992.

Lance West’s story reflects the depth of Kansas City BMX during the 1980s. A twelve-year-old Novice was placed on the gate with factory Experts, one of those riders became his mentor, and five years later Lance stood as an East Coast Gold Cup champion—prepared by countless hard-fought Tuesday nights at Blue Springs.