Racing Helps Keep Local Man On The Right Track Of Sobriety
By David Dinsmore
C
lay Nelson was not unfamiliar with the racetrack. “My dad raced professionally whenever I was a kid, and so I kind of grew up around motorcycles,” Nelson said. “I could ride a motorcycle before I could ride my bicycle, actually.” The hobby piqued his interest for a little while, and Nelson raced a little bit whenever he was a kid before losing interest in it. It was after leaving the track, however, that his life really took a left turn. Nelson got caught in a cycle of addiction, and it really took a major toll on his life. He underwent treatment through programs offered by Gateway to Prevention and Recovery and drug court. While going through procedures of drug court, some friends of Nelson heard about his racing background and invited him to join them at some races in nearby places like Harrah. “I had a really good time and enjoyed it,” Nelson said. “It was something I could do and not be around a bunch of people that are using or drinking.” After some races, Nelson felt the long-forgotten but familiar thrill of being on the track, so he bought his own motorcycle, joined the American Motorcyclist Association and continued from there. He could not anticipate the journey the rediscovered hobby would literally take him around the country on top of figuratively helping keep him on the path of sobriety. “Whenever you're in recovery – the first six months or nine months or whatever – you're always going to meetings and doing certain things that you are required to do,” Nelson said. “(Racing) kind of gave me an outlet … kind of gave me an avenue to be around other people than ones that I'd been hanging around previously, which was obviously not a good situation.” From the mountains to the Midwest, Nelson’s racing has taken him to national competitions to pit his skills against other amateur racers in his class, and his dedication has started earning him awards. At the Amateur Grand National Championships this summer, he placed third in the over 40 class in a weeklong competition against riders from all over the country – which happened to be a nice gift to give himself on the fourth anniversary of his sobriety. “It really was a double blessing,” said Nelson, who races with a Yamaha 450 and 750. Nelson races in the flat track format which in-
Clay Nelson rediscovered a love of motorcycle racing after undergoing addiction recovery programs and being sober for a year, and he has used it as a way to help stay on the right track as well as share his story with people he encounters. He placed third in his class at the Amateur Grand National Championships this past summer. Photos submitted
volve short track competitions that are usually a quarter mile or less with a race length typically around half a mile with some stretching to 5/8 mile or a mile. Given the length of the straightaway, Nelson can reach nearly 100 mph and bank 70 mph in the turns. He also races what is known as a Tourist Trophy, or TT, race that usually involves at least one right hand turn and a jump. “It's a lot of fun, especially for an old guy like me,” said Nelson, who is 55 years old. He chose to wear the number 45 in his races, which was the same number worn by his 83-year-old dad Jerry Matthews during his racing days. It was something else they can connect on now that Nelson is back on the track as he spends his days at home
helping take care of Matthews along with managing rental properties that are part of a family business. Nelson also has maintained the family tradition of being at the track together as he has taken his daughter with him to races after he got back into the sport. In addition to his daughter, racing gives Nelson a chance to spend time around young up-and-coming www.shawneeoutlook.com
21
