Dryden’s Nixon brings life to local motocross scene

Across the globe, motocross is one of many sports that is quietly growing in popularity. At the local level, Tyler Nixon is the prime example of the sport’s gradual development.

The Etna native first got into the sport through his father’s friend Marty Christofferson, who was a professional ATV racer and a three-time New York Off-Road Association (NYOA) champion. Christofferson gave Nixon and his dad tickets to see a national race, and Nixon has fallen in love with motocross ever since. He knows from his own experience of how much the sport has gained traction in the area.

“I think before COVID, there was no one really riding and racing that much that I know of,” Nixon said. “And then after COVID I think everyone just kind of picked up on it because there was nothing else to do. I encouraged a lot of my friends to get out and ride and try it, and I think they enjoy it quite a bit.”

Nixon started riding in 2019 before beginning racing competitively a year later. Now almost every weekend he participates in races for either the NYOA, District 6, and occasionally at the national level in the Grand National Cross County (GNCC) series. This makes his weeks during the school year extremely busy, as he’s also on the Dryden boys basketball and golf teams.

“It’s especially tough during the winter because the sun goes down early, so I don’t really have much time to ride,” Nixon said. “During the spring, it gets a lot easier with golf. The sun goes down at a later time, so I go to school all day and then go to golf practice and then ride for the rest of the evening.”

Nixon further broke down how much time he puts into preparing for races.

“Usually I’m done with training throughout the Thursday before the race,” Nixon said. “A typical training day is going out, usually doing two, 30-minute ‘motos,’ riding around for a little bit, and then just come home and rest. I sometimes go to different tracks, but it depends on what’s open for that day.”

Motocross has many unique features that make it stand out from other forms of motorsport such as Formula 1 and NASCAR. The biggest difference is that the surfaces can vary drastically, from dirt to mud and even snow. Nixon is well-prepared for whatever type of course he may face.

“I have many different training tracks in my house, from rocks to more logs and hills and all that,” Nixon said. “I try to ride those out equally so I can adjust my skills to the track that I’m going to. Even before a race I’m looking up YouTube videos trying to read the track. When I get to the track on the weekends and Saturdays, I go out and mountain bike the track so I can kind of get a feel for what it’s gonna be like.”

Another key difference is the sheer number of racers on the course at a time. There are times when Nixon has competed with up to 500 other riders. Also factoring in that they race on a 10-mile track for two hours, the surface gets roughened up and can lead to chaos.

“It’s pretty tough,” Nixon said. “You got faster riders that could lap you, and then you got slower riders who are just going out for a day ride, so you really got to be careful. You don’t want to knock anyone over anything to make the sport even more dangerous.”

Nixon experienced the dangers of motocross firsthand in late May. During the second round of a NYOA race, he tore his ACL and broke his kneecap. Nixon is aiming a return to the track next year to continue his pursuit of a podium finish.

“I’ve tried my best to stay motivated,” Nixon said. “It’s awfully tough knowing that I’m probably done for a year, but I’m already looking forward to 2024.”

As Nixon’s recovery progresses, he’ll have plenty of time to get more people into motocross for both aspiring riders and spectators.

“I think you should get into it and at least ride just because it keeps you active,” Nixon said. “It’s one of the most physically-demanding sports you can do. Everyone at the races is so compassionate and caring, and they’ll help you out. Even if you are worried about your skill or whatever it may be, there’s always going to be someone there to help you.”

Nixon concluded: “You never know what’s going to happen. There’s some crazy stuff that’s happened there. It’s always entertaining. There’s so many spots you can watch from and some people are really good. You can watch the pros fly high and just absolutely send it, or you could watch someone struggle and help them out.”

Nixon will be staying local for school, attending Tompkins Cortland Community College starting this fall for a degree in sports management.