Muskogee, Oklahoma sits in the eastern part of the state, a city of roughly 37,000 people in Cherokee Nation territory, between the Arkansas River and the Ozark Plateau. It is not a place you expect to produce a 250SX East Champion. Colt Nichols was born there on March 22, 1994, and spent a career proving that championship quality can come from anywhere if the talent and work ethic are present in equal measure.
His 2021 250SX East Championship with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing came after years of grinding through the 250 class, building race by race, developing the technical precision that a full-season championship requires. Four race wins supplemented a consistency that no one could sustain over him across the full championship distance. In a class as deep as the 250SX East, that is genuinely hard to do.
"I'm very excited to be back with the HEP Twisted Tea Suzuki team for 2026. We have a fun team and I really enjoyed working and being around all of these guys."
— Colt Nichols · Twisted Tea SuzukiThe Full Season — Finally Healthy
The 2025 season tested Nichols in ways that had nothing to do with his speed. A shoulder injury during Supercross and a torn UCL in his thumb through the Pro Motocross season meant he effectively raced for eight months in varying degrees of pain. He still earned results. He still showed up. Now, entering 2026 with a proper offseason — including a podium appearance at the World Supercross Championship finale in Cape Town, South Africa — Nichols is showing what a fully healthy version of this rider looks like on the Suzuki RM-Z450.
Twisted Tea Suzuki — HEP Motorsports
Dustin Pipes' Pipes Motorsports Group runs one of the most competitive Suzuki programs in the sport's history. The Twisted Tea title sponsorship brings bold branding to a bold program, and Progressive Insurance adds a mainstream partner that extends the program's visibility well beyond the traditional motocross audience. Nichols' second season with the team comes with the full benefit of accumulated program knowledge and personal relationships built in 2025.
hep-motorsports.com →✦ Colt Nichols Career Highlights
- 250SX East Champion 2021
- 4 career 250SX race wins
- World SX Cape Town: Overall podium 2025
- Born: Muskogee, Oklahoma — March 22, 1994
- 2025: Raced through shoulder + UCL injuries all season
- 2026: First full healthy campaign
- 2nd season with HEP Suzuki — full program knowledge
- Suzuki RM-Z450 — championship-capable machine
- Known for consistency and professional approach
- 90 SX points through Round 12 2026