Privateer Profile: Eric Nye
August 21, 2008, 11:01am
Eric Nye is a champion—a Canadian champion. The kid from Corning, California, has been racing the CMRC Canadian National series for three years now, and he finally put it all together this season for that coveted #1 plate. While other contenders like Aron Harvey, Kyle Beaton, Teddy Maier, Jeremy Medaglia, and Nick Evennou had the speed to win, they lacked the consistency of Nye. It’s not to say that Nye wasn’t fast, though; he had four moto wins, a clean sweep at Gopher Dunes, and five overall podiums.
RXC: Eric Nye, you’ve been trying to get one of these number-one plates for some time and now you have one.
Eric Nye: For sure! I finally got one. I’ve been coming up here for three years with KTM and this new nine-round series really motivated me. I hired a trainer this winter and worked hard. My main focus was to win this championship, right from the first moto at Ste-Julie that I won. I accomplished my goals and it feels really good.
RXC: Eric Nye, you’ve been trying to get one of these number-one plates for some time and now you have one.
Eric Nye: For sure! I finally got one. I’ve been coming up here for three years with KTM and this new nine-round series really motivated me. I hired a trainer this winter and worked hard. My main focus was to win this championship, right from the first moto at Ste-Julie that I won. I accomplished my goals and it feels really good.
You carried a fairly comfortable points lead all way from round two. Was it tough to handle that pressure in the final rounds?
Oh, I’m not going to lie: I was nervous, especially in Moncton. I won the first moto, and in the second moto, it looked I was going to win the moto or the overall and then I came together with a lapper and couldn’t start my bike for two laps. I think I got back to 18th and I thought, “Oh, if I had just won that it would be sewn up!” So the last couple of weekends, I was definitely nervous. After that first moto [at Walton] it was definitely a relief when I clinched it.
What keeps you coming back to Canada?
KTM has been really good to me and the main thing bringing me up was winning a championship. I got that, but I’d love to come back up. The series is growing and I’d like to keep coming back, if I don’t get anything in the U.S. I feel like I deserve a shot in the U.S.
Oh, come on, we want you back in Canada running the number one!
Oh, for sure [laughs]. I’m pretty sure I will be back running the number one. That’s cool.
I’m sure Andy White would like you to return [laughs].
Yeah, not too many people get to run the number-one plate. I’d like to do some supercross this winter as long as I get support and equipment.
{QUOTE}
With the MX2 East and West series’ amalgamating this year, the competition got much deeper. Who would you say were your toughest competitors?
Definitely probably Kyle Beaton and Aron Harvey. Aron had a good run there. He won a couple of overalls and people thought he was gaining on me, but I had a hurt shoulder at Edmonton and I was just happy to get through it. But you have to deal with that stuff in championships: DNFs, being hurt, injuries, and I just persevered through it. There was good competition this year; there were a few of us who won motos and overalls.
Who do you want to say thanks to for helping you win the Canadian MX2 championship, Eric?
My family, my girlfriend, everyone at KTM Canada, Royal Distributing, Riverside MX, Thor/Parts Canada, Pirelli, Factory Connection, FMF, MADA Clothing, Von Zipper, Alpinestars, VANS, MDK, EVS, OGIO, Truckerdeluxe.com, and just everyone who has been behind me this year.
Oh, I’m not going to lie: I was nervous, especially in Moncton. I won the first moto, and in the second moto, it looked I was going to win the moto or the overall and then I came together with a lapper and couldn’t start my bike for two laps. I think I got back to 18th and I thought, “Oh, if I had just won that it would be sewn up!” So the last couple of weekends, I was definitely nervous. After that first moto [at Walton] it was definitely a relief when I clinched it.
What keeps you coming back to Canada?
KTM has been really good to me and the main thing bringing me up was winning a championship. I got that, but I’d love to come back up. The series is growing and I’d like to keep coming back, if I don’t get anything in the U.S. I feel like I deserve a shot in the U.S.
Oh, come on, we want you back in Canada running the number one!
Oh, for sure [laughs]. I’m pretty sure I will be back running the number one. That’s cool.
I’m sure Andy White would like you to return [laughs].
Yeah, not too many people get to run the number-one plate. I’d like to do some supercross this winter as long as I get support and equipment.
{QUOTE}
With the MX2 East and West series’ amalgamating this year, the competition got much deeper. Who would you say were your toughest competitors?
Definitely probably Kyle Beaton and Aron Harvey. Aron had a good run there. He won a couple of overalls and people thought he was gaining on me, but I had a hurt shoulder at Edmonton and I was just happy to get through it. But you have to deal with that stuff in championships: DNFs, being hurt, injuries, and I just persevered through it. There was good competition this year; there were a few of us who won motos and overalls.
Who do you want to say thanks to for helping you win the Canadian MX2 championship, Eric?
My family, my girlfriend, everyone at KTM Canada, Royal Distributing, Riverside MX, Thor/Parts Canada, Pirelli, Factory Connection, FMF, MADA Clothing, Von Zipper, Alpinestars, VANS, MDK, EVS, OGIO, Truckerdeluxe.com, and just everyone who has been behind me this year.
