Gary Nixon with Buddy Elmore. Daytona '67
Road racing at Carlsbad
Gary leading Dick Hammer on the final lap at Daytona '67
Pit Stop. Daytona '67
"Testy, impatient, sometimes pushy and always overconfident, Gary Nixon tangles and fusses with extraordinary zeal. In nine years as a professional racer, he's also developed into one of the smartest, coolest, and most aggressive riders on the circuit. Gary said he was going for those No. 1 plates. Has anyone heard him say he's going to let them go?"
– Cycle Racing Annual 1968
The motorcycle community lost one of its all-time greatest heroes today with the passing of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame member Gary Nixon.
During his 22 years of professional racing, Nixon earned 19 AMA National victories and amassed over 150 Grand National finishes. Most famous were his 1967 and 1968 AMA Grand National Championship wins. His career spanned three decades and he competed as a factory rider for Triumph, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha.
I was fortunate to have met and talked with Gary last October when Don Miller of Metro Racing introduced us. I thought I would share some photos from my personal copy of Cycle Racing Annual 1968.
My heart goes out to his friends and family.
Godspeed #9. You will be missed.
