At the risk of putting too much pressure on the youngest member of the Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing team, it must be said that 17-year-old Nico Izzi joins the team with an already impressive race resume. After capturing more than 100 major amateur championships, the newly signed Izzi turned Pro last year and promptly brought home a fifth-place finish in his second-ever AMA National motocross. Furthermore, Izzi is well acquainted with Suzuki because he accomplished all these amazing feats while riding Suzuki motorcycles.

“I’m really excited about my first year with the factory team,” said Izzi. “I’ve worked my whole life for this – ever since I started riding motorcycles when I was just 3 years old. Being a factory rider has always been my dream, and it’s finally come true. Now I’m just trying to work really hard and achieve the goals that I’ve always wanted to.” Although Izzi has certainly given some thought to what it would be like to ride with the Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing team, fantasy doesn’t always live up to reality. Adjustments must be made, compromises must be reached and everyone has to get used to each other. That said, Izzi is settling into his new team quite nicely. “So far it’s been great,” he said. “Everybody is like one big family here. No one is putting any pressure on me. Team Manager Roger DeCoster is encouraging me to just go out and get some experience racing as a Pro. At the end of last year in AMA Motocross, when I first turned Pro, my goal was to get two top-10 finishes and I did that. I was 10th at Millville, fifth at Steel City and ninth at Glen Helen. I wasn’t trying to set the world on fire, I just wanted to achieve my goal, try to stay consistent and not go over my limits. I rode where I knew I should be.”

Izzi’s first few races as a Pro will most likely act as major indicators for how his rookie season will go. At just 17 years old, he is already a smart, seasoned racer who knows how to set and achieve his goals. For AMA Supercross and AMA Motocross, he has given this a lot of thought.

“In Supercross and Motocross, I want to be on the podium every weekend,” he stated. “Although Supercross is kind of new for me, it’s not because I used to race it on 80cc bikes. Supercross is almost like a ballet in that you have to let it flow. If you try to fight it too much, it’ll bite you. It’s not like Motocross, where you can bulldog it. In both series, I hope that it when it comes down to the last races that I’ll be in the championship hunt. I know there are some good guys out there that I’ll be racing against but I believe that if you work hard enough and want it bad enough, you can get it. My goal is to be up there consistently on the podium and be in the title hunt. It can be done.”

Part of the reason that Izzi is so confident in his abilities is his background and his drive, certainly. But another major reason that he is so self-assured is that he has faith in the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z250 that he’ll be racing in the Supercross and Motocross Lites classes. In Supercross, Izzi will contest the East Coast rounds while his teammate Ryan Dungey will contest the West Coast events.

“The Suzuki is awesome,” said Izzi. “The whole team, all we do is test and that’s what makes a bike great. The more comfortable I can be on the Suzuki, the faster I’ll be able to go. All I can say is that I love the bike, I love my mechanic and I love the team. Everything is just perfect.”

Height: 5’6”

Weight: 145 lb.

Classes of Racing Entered:
AMA Supercross Series, Supercross Lites Class (East Coast) AMA Motocross Championship, Motocross Lites Class

His Motorcycle:
Look for the yellow No. 341 Suzuki RM-Z250 -- tuned by mechanic Lee McCollum

Personal items:
Born July 17, 1990. Single. At just 17, Izzi still lives with his family, though where they live is the question. They have a home in Murrieta, California, as well as a house in Michigan and property in Georgia. Currently, the Georgia property consists of tracks only but they plan to build a house there in the future. Izzi says it’s rare for him to relax, what with training, testing and being home schooled. As he says, “pretty much everything is dedicated to training and riding.”

Noted Accomplishments: 2007
Turned Pro and finished fifth overall at his second-ever AMA Motocross at Steel City (he also finished 10th at Millville and ninth at Glen Helen)

Racing History Izzi started riding at 3 years old and was racing by the time he was 4. He claims that his father thought that he would fall down once and be done with it. His father was mistaken. By the time Izzi turned 9, he was working with a trainer and winning races and championships. Since then, he has become one of Suzuki’s most decorated amateur racers with more than 100 major amateur championships, all achieved racing for Suzuki. This is Izzi’s first year racing for the Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing team.