Gary Nixon on a Harley? (1961)

• Larry Lawrence
This has to be one of the rarest photos of Gary Nixon I’ve ever come across. This photo was originally sourced from the AMA’s photo files. The date stamp on the back reads “American Motorcycle Association Office, Jan. 30, 1961.” A copy ended up in the Cycle News files. That would have been the first year Nixon had a national number. He earned that by way of a 7th-place finish at the 1960 Springfield Mile, the first time Nixon scored national points. What’s interesting is that Nixon is astride what appears to be a Harley-Davidson KR750 (correction a XLRTT). I don’t believe Nixon ever raced a KR, at least not at the national level, so that one is a head scratcher. I wonder when this photo might have been taken. Would it have been late in 1960 when national numbers for the next season were announced? Where was the photo taken and by whom? Did Nixon have a deal to ride a Harley that fell through before the ’61 season started? If anyone knows the answer, please leave a comment. Thanks much. (Photo courtesy AMA) 
#garynixon #harleydavidson #amagrandnational #aft #americanflattrack

2 thoughts on “Gary Nixon on a Harley? (1961)”

  1. If he’s on an XLR it would be at a TT race.(or a staged photo). They were 900s, so TT’s were the only typical AMA track events they fit into. Right?

    Mark

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