EARL HAYDEN:

Earl Hayden – father of 2006 Motogp world champion Nicky – has died at the age of 74. He passed away at the end of 2021 after a long battle with cancer.

Earl was originally a dirt-track racer himself and also father (with supportive wife Rose) of fellow racers Tommy and Roger. Always a fan of ‘fair play’ racing and a hard work ethic which he instilled in all his children, including daughters Jenny and Kathleen, Earl supported all his children around the world.

He was by Nicky’s side as he progressed from dirt track to AMA road racing and Motogp, famously riding on the back of Nicky’s bike after his debut Grand Prix victory at Laguna Seca 2005. Nicky’s bike would always proudly display Earl’s original number of ’69’ which Earl chose as: ‘It looks the same when my bike is upside down!’

Nicky switched to World Superbike in 2016, joining a rare group of riders to win in both 500cc/motogp and WSBK. Nicky was tragically killed in a cycling accident near Misano in May 2017.

Brother Tommy was a double AMA Supersport champion and SBK race winner, with Roger also a Supersport champion and SBK winner, as well as Moto2 and Motogp wild-cards plus a season in Worldsbk.

One of the great Hayden racing feats was when the Hayden brothers finished Nicky (1st), Tommy (2nd) and Roger (3rd) at the 2002 Springfield TT. Nicky, who also won the AMA Superbike championship that season, joined Repsol Honda the following year for his first Motogp season.