20 Nico Izzi

Nico jumped into the pro ranks late in the 2007 outdoor nationals as a member of one of the most anticipated graduate classes to debut in recent history. He quietly rode his Makita Suzuki to tenth overall in his first pro appearance at Millville and backed that up the next week with solid 7-7 moto scores to grab a top-five finish. Although he finished in the top-ten in three of the four races he entered, Nico’s success was seemingly overshadowed by the triumphs of fellow amateur standouts Trey Canard and Austin Stroupe.

When the 2008 Monster Energy/AMA Supercross Lites East series ramped up in Atlanta, it quickly became apparent that Nico had spent his off-season honing his skills in the dangerous art of supercross. Showcasing those skills, he landed on the podium next to Ryan Villopoto and amateur rival Trey Canard at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Though only the second supercross of his career, Nico quickly started turning heads.

Nico had flashes of brilliance throughout the series but it was his ability to be consistent—a trait few rookies enjoy—that led him to an impressive third place overall in the championship. Even though he proved to be a threat in supercross, Nico’s success again played second fiddle, this time to the championship-winning Canard.

Fueled by the success of this rookie SX season, Nico came into the nationals poised to battle for the championship. When the gate dropped at Glen Helen, though, he struggled and only managed to score points in two of the first four motos of the season. Then came Thunder Valley, and Nico found his stride. After a spirited battle with his Rockstar/Makita Suzuki teammate Ryan Dungey came down to the final turn in moto one, he found himself spraying champagne in celebration of his first outdoor national podium.

The consistency that defined Nico’s outdoor season was back and a blazing fire was set inside of him. The final round at Steel City was upon him and he faced it with an aggressiveness that hadn’t previously been seen. His ferocity weakened to no one—including the previously crowned Villopoto—as he clawed his way to a career-best second place overall. Like most rookie seasons, Nico’s first full year as a pro yielded some highs and lows. He walked away with two top-five championship finishes, the AMA Rookie of the Year award, and left us all with great anticipation of what his next season will bring. Justin Fisk