Remember him this way
Nicky Hayden really showed his promise aboard the American Honda RVT RC51. By this time of his career the youngster already had a lifetime of racing behind him, on the dirt tracks of America, before heading onto the Tarmac. He won the AMA Supersport championship in 1999 with his privately-run Honda CBR600 before being promoted into the Superbike class. He would run in both classes, winning his first race at Road America in 2000. From 2001 he concentrated solely on Superbikes and came third behind champion Mat Mladin and Eric Bostrom. By now Honda were keeping tabs on the youngster and he justified their faith by winning the AMA Superbike series on the Honda VTR in 2002, winning the Daytona 200 along the way. For 2003 he was elevated to the elite – Motogp with Honda, riding alongside Valentino Rossi. It proved to be a tough baptism, but – following on from Rossi’s departure to Yamaha – he spearheaded development of the RC212V and, in an epic year, took the title from Rossi at the final round at Valencia. This made Hayden the only rider to take a title from the Italian in the 990cc era. Into the 800cc era, Nicky’s competitiveness (if not his passion) was eroded somewhat, but on the Honda and later the Ducati he was always a threat to the podium. A move to World Superbike for 2016 saw him take a win in Malaysia. As an American and World Champion and Motogp race winner Nicky’s name will always be mentioned alongside the greats. As a person and human being, even more so: many of those who worked with him confirm that he was untouched by ego or stardom. Ride on Nicky.