Gary Nixon
Gary Nixon | |
---|---|
Nixon with the Daytona 200 winner's trophy | |
Nationality | American |
Born |
Anadarko, Oklahoma | January 25, 1941
Died |
August 5, 2011 70) Baltimore, Maryland | (aged
Gary Nixon (January 25, 1941 – August 5, 2011) was an American professional motorcycle racer who most notably won the A.M.A. Grand National Championship in 1967 and 1968 as a member of the Triumph factory racing team.[1] He was also the winner of the 1967 Daytona 200 motorcycle race on a 500cc Triumph Daytona.[2]
Nixon was also known for his partnership with legendary tuner Erv Kanemoto when they won the 1973 U.S. National Road Racing Championship for Kawasaki.[1] He competed at the international level in the 1976 Formula 750 championship, laying claim to the Formula 750 world championship on a modified Kawasaki KR750 until international politics denied him that prize.[3][4][5]
He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2003.[1][6] He last resided in Maryland and participated in vintage motorcycle racing as well as testing motorcycles for the locally produced syndicated public TV automotive review program MotorWeek.
Nixon suffered a heart attack on July 29, 2011 and died in Baltimore, Maryland on August 5 from complications.[7] He was 70.
References
- 1 2 3 "Gary Nixon at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ↑ "Daytona 200 winners". motorsportsetc.com. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ↑ "Gary Nixon' Kawasaki KR750". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ↑ Nixon Loses FIM Appeal and F750 World Championship. American Motorcyclist. January 1977. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ↑ DeWitt, Norman L. (2010). Grand Prix Motorcycle Racers: The American Heroes. Books.Google.com. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ↑ Gary Nixon at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
- ↑ Swarts, David. "R.I.P. Gary Nixon". Roadracing World. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
External links
- GaryNixon.com - Official website
- Gary Nixon at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
- Gary Nixon at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
- Nicky Hayden Remembers Nixon: "I'll Miss Him"