Nicky Hayden - Chasin' a Dream » kentucky kid

Nicky Hayden busy testing in Le Mans

Sandra — Mon, 19 May 2008 23:04:11 +0000

Repsol Honda rider Nicky Hayden stayed on at Le Mans today for a busy day of testing following yesterday’s French Grand Prix. The Kentucky Kid focused on evaluating Michelin tyres and different chassis set-up solutions in preparation for the next MotoGP event at Mugello, Italy, on June 1. Hard-working Hayden used race tyres throughout his impressive run of 113 laps. Mugello is the first of a quick-fire run of six races over eight weekends. Hayden’s next duty, however, is this coming weekend, when he will ride a demo lap aboard a 2007 RC212V just before the start of the huge Indy 500 car race to promote September’s inaugural Indianapolis MotoGP event.

Nicky Hayden, fastest lap: 1m 34.752s (113 laps)

“It was a hard weekend, today we found a couple of band aids for the problems we’ve had here. We only tested with race tyres and we improved our pace. I was able to go quicker than we went yesterday but still not enough. We tried a lot of solutions and I can’t really say we really found any cures for the braking stability and for getting the bike to enter the corner better. We went through a lot of stuff which at least we can now rule out. We tried mainly setting changes and a few tyres, which could possibly work well for us at other tracks, which we needed to get a little bit of data on. It looked like the sky could open up any time, it stayed dry but it wasn’t a day for the beach! I feel a little better now, so hopefully Mugello will go smoother for us.”

Nicky Hayden: It was never going to be easy!

Sandra — Sun, 04 May 2008 13:24:05 +0000

Nicky Hayden enjoyed a busy race during which he battled long and hard for a sixth-place finish. Hayden made a great start from the fourth row of the grid and spent the race fighting back and forth with a number of rivals including Marco Melandri, Andrea Dovizioso, Colin Edwards and Lorenzo. Down in eighth at one stage, he modified his lines and adjusted his traction control to fight back to take sixth during the final few laps.

Nicky Hayden:

“We knew starting tenth was never going to be easy. I crashed my number one bike in qualifying, then this morning I rode the other bike, so I started the race with the bike I’d crashed but it was fine. I got a really good start and a good first corner too, but I just couldn’t go with the lead group today.

We had a huge tailwind on the back straightaway, so I was running out of gear. It made it so hard to get it stopped for the corner at the end of the straight, so a lot of guys were running wide. Mid-race I had a few problems, felt a few drops of rain, and my corner speed in the long corners wasn’t so good. Towards the end I changed a few little things with my lines and the traction control settings. I started to move forward and at the end I was going pretty good.

There was a lot of good battling going on but it would’ve been better to have been battling for a better position. I didn’t give up, kept pushing and picked off a few guys near the end.”

Nicky Hayden: Qualifying didn’t go to plan!

Sandra — Sat, 03 May 2008 13:04:33 +0000

Repsol Honda riderNicky Hayden fought hard in a tough qualifying session at Shanghai this afternoon, ending up tenth quickest. There were several fallers this afternoon, Hayden one of them. The American slid off with 18 minutes to go while on a red-hot qualifying lap that would have put him much closer to the front of the grid. The tumble also lost Hayden some momentum because it took him a crucial five minutes to get back to his pit and collect his number-two machine. He ended the session just a fraction off a third-row start. Latest race-day weather forecasts predict rain for the Shanghai area.

Nicky Hayden, 10th fastest, 1m 59.507

“Qualifying didn’t go to plan, really. It was okay in the beginning, we were quite up front on race tyres. With my first qualifier I went to first place for a second, then with my second qualifier I just had an easy front push in turn 11 and down I went. I had a pretty good lap going but just didn’t get it down. The track is so long and so big it took me forever to get back to the pits, a little bit walking, a little bit scooter. Then I just got out on the other bike and did one run and didn’t get the chance to improve my time. It was a pity because things were looking quite good on race tyres – this morning I did over race distance and was quite happy. This afternoon the track felt a bit greasy, there were a lot of guys crashing. I’ve put myself in a nice hole starting tenth, I haven’t qualified off the front two rows in the dry since Barcelona last year. I’m going to need an awesome start, try to pick a few guys off and move forward.”

Free Practice Results Day 1 – GP of China

Sandra — Fri, 02 May 2008 09:48:29 +0000

1. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1’59.906 *
2. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 2’00.163
3. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 2’00.361
4. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 2’00.553
5. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 2’00.591
6. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 2’00.607
7. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 2’0 0.931
8. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 2’00.964
9. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP (M) 2’00.974 *
10. Colin Edwards USA Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 2’01.064
11. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 2’01.326
12. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 2’01.504
13. James Toseland GBR Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 2’01.798
14. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 2’01.913
15. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 2’01.984 *
16. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 2’02.026 *
17. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 2’02.348
18. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 2’02.480 *

* time set in FP1

Nicky Hayden tumbles out of fourth place in Estoril

Sandra — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 20:46:38 +0000

Nicky Hayden tumbled out of fourth place today while sneaking up on the leading trio. The opening laps of the race were especially tricky for the Kentucky Kid because light rain showers had dampened several sections of the circuit.

2006 MotoGP world champion Hayden was charging hard, moving through the pack from seventh place on the first place, picking off rivals here and there until he found himself in fourth place just after half way. The American had been chipping away at the leading group, closing a few tenths every lap, until he lost the front and fell going into turn seven on lap 17. His pace had been impressive, good enough for the third fastest lap of the race.

Nicky Hayden; DNF, 10th in World Championship

“The first few laps were certainly not easy, some parts of the track were a little wetter than others and I had on a pretty hard tyre. I had been choosing between that tyre and another a little bit softer, but with the way the weather’s been this weekend we really hadn’t got to do a lot of endurance on the harder one.

I got settled in, and the warmer I was getting the tyres the better they were working and I was able to start moving up, so things were feeling pretty good. I made a few passes, I’d just got into fourth, felt like I wanted to close the gap on the guys in front of me. You know, I got fourth place at Jerez and I certainly didn’t want to settle in there and ride around, so I had to push hard and you know when you push hard you make mistakes. It’s not a parade you can’t just cruise around.

The bike was working good, the tyres were working good, I felt pretty comfortable, so I was pushing. Turn seven’s downhill, certainly a trick corner, the front let go pretty early and down I went. It’s unfortunate because the bike was working good and we were hungry for a good result, so my own mistake. We just have to step it up a bit.”

Results Qualifying Session – GP of Portugal

Sandra — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:10:23 +0000

1. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1’35.715
2. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1’35.948
3. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1’36.199
4. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1’36.266
5. Colin Edwards USA Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1’36.289
6. James Toseland GBR Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1’36.790
7. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP (M) 1’36.998
8. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 1’37.223
9. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1’37.253
10. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1’37.346
11. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1’37.664
12. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1’37.786
13. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1’37.843
14. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 1’38.561
15. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1’38.775
16. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1’38.823
17. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1’39.115
18. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 1’39.355

Results Free Practice Day 1 – GP of Portugal

Sandra — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:17:50 +0000

1. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1’38.507
2. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1’38.547
3. Colin Edwards USA Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 1’38.632
4. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1’38.688
5. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1’38.868
6. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Scot Team (M) 1’39.171
7. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1’39.202
8. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1’39.309
9. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 1’39.332
10. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1’39.474
11. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1’39.591
12. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1’39.946
13. James Toseland GBR Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 1’40.055
14. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1’41.033
15. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1’41.112
16. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1’41.572
17. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 1’41.875
18. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 1’43.262

Vintage Hayden Inaugurates Indy Bike Track

Sandra — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:55:53 +0000

2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden today began the build-up to the first-ever Indianapolis MotoGP event by riding a vintage Indian motorcycle around the legendary Brick Yard racetrack, which now features a new layout for motorcycles.

The Repsol Honda rider, one of seven Americans to have worn motorcycling’s biggest crown, got fully into the part, wearing authentic vintage helmet and leathers. The Indian machine, which took part in the first Indy bike race in 1909, certainly impressed the Kentucky Kid.

“When the bike first fired up I wondered what I’d got myself into!” said Hayden, one of those riders who has a lot of respect for racing history. “Then when I was doing about 40mph down the straight it felt like a hundred. I really enjoyed the ride though, especially my old school helmet, that was my favourite part.

“It is a real honour to be the first rider to lap the new Indy track and I can’t wait to get out there on a MotoGP bike in September. I expect most of my hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky, to be there. They may have to close the town down that day.”

Hayden later rode a Honda CBR1000RR around the 4.216km/2.618 mile circuit, designed specifically for MotoGP, at more 21st century speeds. When he arrives at Estoril for this weekend’s Portuguese Grand Prix he will report his findings to the MotoGP safety commission, which looks after rider safety at all MotoGP events. During his visit to the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Hayden also took a look around the IMS Hall of Fame Museum.

The Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix takes place on September 12/13/14, two months after the US GP at Laguna Seca, California. Indy is the third American track to host a motorcycle GP, after Laguna and Florida venue Daytona. Hayden won the 2005 and 2006 US GPs at Laguna aboard his Repsol Honda RC211V.

Nicky Hayden aims to improve at the GP of Portugal

Sandra — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 07:30:44 +0000

Repsol Honda RC212V rider Nicky Hayden heads into the Portuguese Grand Prix aiming to keep improving following the Spanish GP. Nicky Hayden took an excellent fourth-place finish after running with the leaders.

The Kentucky Kid spent two further days at Jerez testing components, tyres and setup options that should put him in even better shape at Estoril.Nicky Hayden set the fastest lap of the tests while evaluating Michelin rear tyres and some new clutch parts for smoother corner entries.

Estoril is a complex and tricky circuit with some dramatic contrasts – the chicane is MotoGP’s slowest corner and the kink onto the back straight is one of the fastest. Riders need a well-balanced machine that is manageable in slower turns and stable in the fast sweepers, with good top speed for the 320km/h-199mph main straight and excellent braking stability.

Nicky Hayden is the current Estoril lap record holder and also took pole position at last year’s event. Honda has won five of the eight premier-class GPs staged at the track since 2002.

Nicky Hayden

“Hopefully we’ve got things rolling now. Jerez wasn’t bad, good enough to make me look forward to Estoril where we’ll be working to keep going forward. It’s is an old-school track, it’s a strange little place, not very wide and kinda odd. It can be a lot of fun or it can be miserable. It’s got that little bus-stop chicane which is probably the slowest corner in MotoGP, but I really like the right-hand kink onto the back straightaway, that’s pretty fast and cool. And I love the last corner coming onto the front straightaway – when the bike works good and steers through there it can be pretty fun. Obviously you want something with some horsepower because the front straightaway goes on for days. And you need something to get through the tight, twisty bits. One other thing, there’s definitely a lot more right-handers, so you need softer compounds on the left side of the tyres.”

Nicky Hayden tests new parts and setting in Jerez test day

Sandra — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 03:06:39 +0000

Nicky Hayden went back to work at Jerez on Monday following the Spanish GP which his team mate Pedrosa won in brilliant style, Hayden building momentum with a fine ride to fourth. Nicky Hayden evaluated new parts and new settings, working hard to continue the impressive progress he made over the Spanish GP weekend, during which he raced a new chassis for the first time.

Nicky Hayden, 9th, 1m 40. 389s, 80 laps

“We learned some stuff today, we were able to run pretty decent and consistent laps using reference tyres and we got some good data, so quite a positive day all in all. We had nothing major to test, just some different clutch options to get into the corners a little bit better and some general setup options, looking for a bit of edge traction to help save the tyre over race distance. We’ll come back again tomorrow, get another full day and just work our way through some more options.”

MotoGP Test Results Jerez

1. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 1’38.679
2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 1’39.117
3. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro 1’39.218
4. Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 1’39.484
5. John Hopkins (USA) Kawasaki Racing 1’39.569
6. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1’39.747
7. Shinya Nakano (JPN) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1’40.034
8. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda 1’40.116
9. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda 1’40.389
10. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) JiR Team Scot MotoGP 1’40.394
11. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki 1’40.534
12. Alex De Angelis (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1’41.308
13. Marco Melandri (ITA) Ducati Marlboro 1’41.396
14. Anthony West (AUS) Kawasaki Racing 1’42.132
15. Toni Elias (SPA) Alice Team 1’42.240
16. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki Racing 1’42.562
17. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Alice Team 1’42.624