Nick Thom
Nick got his first bike at age 16. He was a first generation rider that didn’t know any other riders so he had to teach himself how to ride. Although he had enthusiasm there was no indication of ability for several years. His affinity for crashing did however shape his future insofar as it mandated that he find a desk job so that he could work while injured and a job with enough income to cover a hefty parts bill. Lucky for Nick he got into the engineering program at UC Davis. Immediately upon graduation Nick bought a Kawasaki 2-stroke and a pick up truck and started racing D36 cross country events. He still hits the ground quite a bit but somewhere he learned how to fall well enough that major injuries are few and far between. The bike, however, still takes considerable damage.
After three years of increasingly serious cross county racing Nick added local mx races, and then Best In the Desert to the agenda and began to move up the skill classes. Now at age 42 Nick lives in San Ramon, CA with his wife and two boys and is back to racing only D36 cross country events. After countless Kawasaki 2-strokes Nick ‘s brand has abandoned him and he will switch to a KTM 300xc for Fall 2011. A motorcycle that he feels is built for old guys like him. Cycle Gear has supported Nick for so long it’s embarrassing, but still very much appreciated.
If you go by the results Nick peaked in 2000 finishing 7th overall in the district, but that was before everyone did every race and if you ask him Nick says he’s never been faster than he is now. He will admit, however, that he used to be in better shape, and that his joints used to hurt less.
Nick has the Heart of a Lion and is as strong as on Ox. He lives life to the fullest and plays an important part of the “BackBone of CKR”!
