Danny Nelson
Encyclopedia
Daniel Lee Nelson was an American professional "Mid & Current School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX)
racer whose prime competitive years are from 1993 to 2003. His nickname is "Thunder".
Started racing: In 1981 at six years of age at the Teen Center in Van Nuys, California. He was riding with older kids one day and since they appreciated his talent of being "the wheelie king" of the neighborhood at such a young age they suggested he try racing.
Sanctioning body:
Home sanctioning body district(s): American Bicycle Association
(ABA) California District 20 (CA-20) (1985); United States Bicycle Motocross Association
(USBA) CA-2 (1986)
First race result: Nelson does not recall how well he did overall but he was leading his first moto but went back up the starting hill which was parallel to the straight. He simply did it automatically and without thinking since it was accidentally ingrained into him during the practice sessions previous to the race to avoid the ride back to the starting hill that would be necessary if he ran the entire track in practice.
First win (local):
First sponsor: Robinson Racing 1981.
First national win:
Turned Professional: December 1992 age 17.
First Professional race result:
First Professional win:
First Junior Pro* race result:
First Junior Pro win:
First Senior Pro** race result:
First Senior Pro win:
Retired: October 2003, just after the NBL Grandnationals. to devote himself to a new business he was partnered in. he made his formal announcement in a speech to the spectators to the ABA Fall Nationals in Del Mar, California
on October 26, 2003 stating it was time to move on.
Height & weight at height of her career: Ht:6'4" Wt:200 lbs.
National Bicycle League (NBL)
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
Other Titles:
(NBA)
National Bicycle League
(NBL)
American Bicycle Association
(ABA)
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
(USBA)
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
Pro Series Championships
The full, illustrated website version of the interview, originally posted on January 8, 2004, can be seen here.
Bicycle Motocross News:
Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:
BMX Plus!:
Total BMX:
Bicycles and Dirt:
Snap BMX Magazine & Transworld BMX:
Twenty BMX:
Moto Mag:
BMX World:
NBA World & NBmxA World (The official NBA/NBmxA publication):
Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The official NBL publication; one name change):
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (Three incarnations of the official ABA publication):
USBA Racer (The official USBA membership publication):
BMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
racer whose prime competitive years are from 1993 to 2003. His nickname is "Thunder".
Racing career milestones
----Started racing: In 1981 at six years of age at the Teen Center in Van Nuys, California. He was riding with older kids one day and since they appreciated his talent of being "the wheelie king" of the neighborhood at such a young age they suggested he try racing.
Sanctioning body:
Home sanctioning body district(s): American Bicycle Association
American Bicycle Association
The American Bicycle Association is a United States-based Bicycle Motocross sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona created by Merl Mennenga and Gene Roden in 1977. It is the largest sanctioning body in the United States concerning BMX. It has tracks in Canada and Mexico as well as in the USA...
(ABA) California District 20 (CA-20) (1985); United States Bicycle Motocross Association
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
The United States Bicycle Association was a short lived Bicycle Motocross national sanctioning body based in Tempe, Arizona. It was founded in March 1984 by five former members of the American Bicycle Association : Rich Mann, Dave Cook, Geoff Sims, Steve Schaefer and Rod Keeling, who became the...
(USBA) CA-2 (1986)
First race result: Nelson does not recall how well he did overall but he was leading his first moto but went back up the starting hill which was parallel to the straight. He simply did it automatically and without thinking since it was accidentally ingrained into him during the practice sessions previous to the race to avoid the ride back to the starting hill that would be necessary if he ran the entire track in practice.
First win (local):
First sponsor: Robinson Racing 1981.
First national win:
Turned Professional: December 1992 age 17.
First Professional race result:
First Professional win:
First Junior Pro* race result:
First Junior Pro win:
First Senior Pro** race result:
First Senior Pro win:
Retired: October 2003, just after the NBL Grandnationals. to devote himself to a new business he was partnered in. he made his formal announcement in a speech to the spectators to the ABA Fall Nationals in Del Mar, California
Del Mar, California
Del Mar is an upscale beach town in San Diego County, California. The population was 4,161 at the 2010 census, down from 4,389 at the 2000 census. The San Diego County Fair is hosted on the Del Mar Fairgrounds every summer. Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "by the sea", because it is located...
on October 26, 2003 stating it was time to move on.
Height & weight at height of her career: Ht:6'4" Wt:200 lbs.
Amateur
- Robinson Racing: 1981-Early November 1983
- GT (Gary Turner) Racing: Early November 1983-December 1986
- Robinson Racing: January 1987-November 1991
- GT Bicycles: November 1991-December 1992. GT underwent a minor name change since his first term with GT.
- Powerlite Industries: December 1992-December 2000. Nelson will turn pro with this sponsor.
Professional
- Powerlite Industries: December 1992-December 2000
- Hot Wheels/GT Bicycles/Troy Lee Designs: December 2000-October 2001
- Troy Lee Designs: October 2001-Mid December 2001. Troy Lee became Nelson's primary sponsor between GT and Giant.
- Giant/Troy Lee: Late December 2001-October 2003. After the NBL Grand Nationals just before Giant Bicycles dropped the Professional members of its team. He would retire within weeks to pursue a business opportunity.
Amateur
National Bicycle Association (NBA)- None
National Bicycle League (NBL)
- 1982 7 Expert Grandnational Champion
- 1990 16 Cruiser Grandnational Champion
- 1991 17 Expert and 17 Cruiser Grandnational Champion
- 1991 17 Expert National No.2
- 1992 17-20 Cruiser Grandnational Champion
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
- 1982 8 Expert 2nd Place Jag World Champion (ABA sanctioned)
- 1985 10 Expert Winter Season California District 20 (CA-20) District Age Group (DAG) No.1
- 1985 11 Expert Grandnational Champion
- 1985 11 Expert National No.1†
- 1986 12 Cruiser California District 20 (Cal-20) No.1
- 1992 18 Expert and 17-20 Cruiser Grandnational Champion
United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)
- None
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
- 1982 7 Expert Grand Prix of BMX Champion
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
- None
Other Titles:
- 1983 9 Expert Jag World Champion (Non sanctioned)
Professional
National Bicycle AssociationNational Bicycle Association
The National Bicycle Association , later known as the National Bicycle Motocross Association was an United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Soledad, California that was created by Ernie Alexander in 1973 and ceased operations as an independent body in 1981...
(NBA)
- None
National Bicycle League
National Bicycle League
The National Bicycle League is a United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Deerfield Beach, Florida but after several moves it was based in Hilliard, Ohio...
(NBL)
- 1994 All Pro Grandnational Champion
- 1999 National No.1 Pro
American Bicycle Association
American Bicycle Association
The American Bicycle Association is a United States-based Bicycle Motocross sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona created by Merl Mennenga and Gene Roden in 1977. It is the largest sanctioning body in the United States concerning BMX. It has tracks in Canada and Mexico as well as in the USA...
(ABA)
- 2002 "AA" Pro Grandnational Champion
- 2002 National No.1 Pro
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
The United States Bicycle Association was a short lived Bicycle Motocross national sanctioning body based in Tempe, Arizona. It was founded in March 1984 by five former members of the American Bicycle Association : Rich Mann, Dave Cook, Geoff Sims, Steve Schaefer and Rod Keeling, who became the...
(USBA)
- None (defunct)
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
- None
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
- None
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
- 1994 Superclass 20" World Champion.
Pro Series Championships
BMX product lines
- Robinson "Danny Nelson Jr. Pro" Mini 20" bicycle introduced 1982.
- Product Evaluations:
Notable accolades
- He is an ABA BMXer magazine 1993 Golden Crank Pro Rookie of the Year winner.
- He is a winner of the 1999 VISA/USAC Athletes of the Year Award. He also received US$1,000 in prize money.
Significant injuries
- Suffered a knee injury high jumpHigh jumpThe high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
ing at school in approximately May 1985. Injury side lined him until the ABA Grand Nationals in November 1985. - Had post season knee surgery in December 1990.
- Inflamed knee in late summer of 1992. Missed the ABA Midwest nationals but was back by the next ABA national.
- Pulled his groin in the Summer of 1999. He was laid up for one race, coming back for the ABA Mile High Nationals.
Post BMX career
- Nelson retired immediately after the 2003 NBL Grandnationals ending his 23 year career to pursue a business opportunity of being a partner in a thrift store. His workload of helping to run this new business and racing was impacting both his opportunity with the business and racing. As he said at the time in an interview that was printed in the February 2004 issue of Transworld BMX:
The full, illustrated website version of the interview, originally posted on January 8, 2004, can be seen here.
BMX and general press magazine interviews and articles
- "Around the States in 48 days" BMX Action December 1987 Vol.12 No.12 pg.58 Mini interview conducted along with teammates "Chicken" George Severs and Robert Swick also interviewed while the GT Racing team was on tour during the summer of 1987.
- "The Quiet Sound of Thunder..." Snap BMX Magazine July/August 1997 Vol.4 No.4 Iss.17 pg.53
- "Danny Nelson: Heavy Thunder and New Reign" Snap BMX Magazine January 2000 Vol.7 Iss.1 No.39 pg.78
- "Thunder Rolls Out" Transworld BMX February 2004 Vol.11 Iss.2 No.88 pg.17 Brief article on reason for Nelson's retirement.
BMX magazine covers
----Bicycle Motocross News:
- None (defunct)
Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
- None
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:
- February 1991 Vol.2 Iss.4 in center in with freestyler Todd Lyons in the left insert and freestyler Ron Wilkerson in the right insert. (Go)
BMX Plus!:
- December 1993 Vol.16 No.12 (51) ahead of Steve VeltmanSteve VeltmanStephen James Veltman is a former American "Old School/Mid School" professional Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1981–1983 and 1989 to 1998...
. In insert freestyler Dave Mirra. - June 1998 Vol.21 No.6 (6) with Kiyomi WallerKiyomi WallerKiyomi Waller is an American professional "Old/Mid School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1989-1998....
(18).
Total BMX:
Bicycles and Dirt:
- None
Snap BMX Magazine & Transworld BMX:
- Snap BMX Magazine May/June 1996 Vol.3 Iss.3 No.10 Launching of the starting gate with Mike King (25) directly to his left. To his right is Six unidentified racers. Waiting his turn on the starting gate directly behind Mike King is Greg Romero (6).
- Snap BMX Magazine May 2000 Vol.7 Iss.5 No.43 (1) slightly behind Matt Pohlkamp (7) and Eric Abbadessa (9). In top insert Brian Foster.
Twenty BMX:
Moto Mag:
- None
BMX World:
NBA World & NBmxA World (The official NBA/NBmxA publication):
Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The official NBL publication; one name change):
- June 1983 (BToday)
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (Three incarnations of the official ABA publication):
- American BMXer June 1985 Vol.7 No.4
USBA Racer (The official USBA membership publication):