Gary Nixon

Gary Nixon 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. He was also the winner of the 1967 Daytona 200 motorcycle race on a 500cc Triumph [Tiger Daytona|Triumph Daytona].
Nixon was born in Anadarko, Oklahoma. He was known for his partnership with legendary tuner Erv Kanemoto when they won the 1973 U.S. National Road Racing Championship for Kawasaki. He competed at the international level in the 1976 [Formula 750 season|1976 Formula 750 championship], laying claim to the Formula 750 world championship on a modified Kawasaki KR750 until international politics denied him that prize.
He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle [Hall of Fame] in 1998 and the Motorsports [Hall of Fame of America] in 2003. 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. He was 70.