Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1544085
"Riding with Nicky just inspired confidence. He made everyone want to push harder." – Roland Sands My fondest memory of Nicky definitely goes back to riding at Ken Maely's ranch. We used to go out there after work all the time during the off-season, just training and putting in laps for hours and hours. Most of it was on XR100s, riding those little bikes around in circles until the sun went down. I first met Nicky and Tommy back when I was racing 250 Grand Prix bikes, and they were just getting started in road racing. Then you fast-for- ward a few years and Nicky's out there winning Superbike races. So, it was pretty cool to have Nicky, Aaron Yates, Mark Cernicky, Marc Miller, Frank Aragaki, and myself all out there together ripping XR100s around the ranch. We did so many laps, riding so close together and pushing those bikes way harder than an XR100 ever had any right to be pushed. By the end of the day, I'd lose about half the spokes in my front wheel and quite a few in the rear too. Riding with Nicky just inspired confidence. He made everyone want to push harder. For the most part we were all pretty even, but if Nicky decided he wanted to get away, he could do it anytime he wanted. Those were the most fun days I've ever had on two wheels. "Outside of racing, he was also a very nice person." - Dani Pedrosa When I think about Nicky, the first thing that comes to mind is how competitive he was. He always wanted to do the work. Most of the time he knew he had to push his limits, and that meant staying out on track and doing more laps. He had a very special talent for riding the bike sideways. He had incredible control of the bike, both the front and the rear, and he was very comfortable with the bike moving around underneath him. That was something that really stood out. Maybe he didn't always have the same raw speed that some of the road racers coming through the lower classes like Moto3 and Moto2 had when they arrived in MotoGP. But what made Nicky different was that he never gave up. During my first season as a rookie in MotoGP, I sometimes had more raw speed, so there were moments when I could be faster than him. But the thing about Nicky was that he would never accept that. If he felt I had an advantage, he would stay out on track and keep riding lap after lap, working until he matched that speed again. Many times, I would feel like I had the edge over him, and then the very next day he would show up and, right from the first laps, he was already there again - matching my pace. It was a great lesson for me. I learned from Nicky that you should never give up, even when things seem uphill. His approach was very different from mine at the time, but it showed me that if you keep the will and keep working, things can come back your way. Outside of racing, he was also a very nice person. Of course, we had a few years where we were very competitive with each other, but he and his family were always kind, always respectful, always good people. One of the best memories I have of Nicky came later. At one point I was struggling with a serious problem in my arm. I traveled around the world looking for a solution and couldn't find anyone who could really fix it. When Nicky heard about it, he came to me and recommended a doctor that he thought I should see. I took his advice and went to that doctor - and he fixed my problem. So, I owe Nicky a lot for that. For that advice, and for the person he was. I will always carry him in my heart.