Throwback Thursday: Gary Nixon at the Race of the Year (1976)

Larry Lawrence | April 6, 2023

Nixon one of three Americans to race the big British meeting at Mallory Park

In this week’s Throwback we dial back the time machine 47 years to 1976 and travel across the Atlantic to Jolly Old England and the twisty Mallory Park Circuit. This image was taken at Shaw’s Hairpin, possibly the tightest turn in all of road racing. Nixon is on his Erv Kanemoto-tuned Kawasaki KR750 riding ahead of fellow American Pat Hennen (No. 40) on a Suzuki and Brit Mick Grant (No. 10) on another Kawasaki. Nixon ran well up the order early in the race before his bike suffered mechanical issues forcing him to retire. American Steve Baker won the talent-packed event, which featured riders such as then newly-crowned 500cc Motorcycle Grand Prix World Champion Barry Sheene, multi-time world champs Giacomo Agostini, Phil Read and Kork Ballington as well as a host of the top British road racers.

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