Open the door to the Nicotera home and one would think they need a special trophy case for all the trophies and banners spread across the living room. Local weekend warrior and Kemmerer High School senior Joey Nicotera has yet another trophy for the wall. Nicotera has been adding to those trophies by racing off-road motorcycles on weekends since he was nine years old.
“My dad never really encouraged me,” Nicotera said. “But I have been told that I used to use hot dogs as handle bars and “race” around the house.” Joey’s father, Kevin, used to race motorcycles in his youth but says most of the talent is in his son. “He is a way better racer than I ever was,” Kevin Nicotera said.
Joey races two different size motorcycles in different racing circuits around the west. “I race the 250 Junior class and the 450 Junior class,” Nicotera said. “There is more competition in the 250 class, but the 450 is more fun to ride.”
Joey made some hard decisions this year, being a senior in high school. He wanted to focus on football and the team, but he also wanted to win the Wild West Nationals. The races are located in Utah and Nevada. Even though he would focus on school and football, he would still find time to race.
This year he wanted both and achieved both. He was able to sweep the Wild West Nationals and take the championship and he was one of the Kemmerer seniors that led the Rangers to a first round playoff game.
Racing motorcycles is a family sport. Kevin and Joey’s sister Kelsey, are his coaches and managers. His mother Jami is the cheerleader for everyone. “When we are not at the races, we feel out of place,” said Jamie. Kelsey tried racing but realized her talent is not on a bike, but on the track. She is a certified lap counter and helps the track officials with counting laps at each race.
“Kelsey has been lap counting for many years,” Jamie said. “In fact, she cannot only keep track of the laps, but still finds time to coach her brother.” Kelsey has a keen eye and gives her brother a lot of pointers to improve his riding style. “I’m the bad and the good,” Kelsey said. “I tell him what he is doing good and bad, I encourage and criticize.”
Joey was accepted to the University of Wyoming and plans on studying engineering, but he will still be the weekend warrior with the help of his family. “We will be there to take him to the races,” Kevin said. “If he won’t quit, neither will we.”
The many trophies that line the Nicotera living room are the ones Joey received this year. Each wall in his room, two walls in the garage and a few photo albums are proof that the weekend warrior will never stop because there are still a few walls to fill up.