Words: Bertie Simmonds Pics: Honda, Kelsey Archive
Nicky Hayden came from a family of racers. Owensboro, Kentucky, racing on both dirt-track and tarmac.
His rise to the top was swift and he was elevated to MotoGP’s top team – Repsol Honda – for 2003 where he would be teaming up with the dominant Valentino Rossi.
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He scored consistently, if not sensationally, in his first two seasons and won his first of three MotoGP races at his ‘home’ circuit of Laguna Seca in 2005, beating Rossi who, by now, had defected to the Yamaha factory team. The year 2006 would see him take his consistency against Rossi’s dominance, where the Italian would struggle with a number of mechanical issues and the odd crash.
Hayden made hay while Rossi’s YZR-M1 suffered its issues. But it still wasn’t plain sailing for Hayden as his Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa took Nicky out of the penultimate race. Going into the final race at Valencia, Valentino had made a remarkable comeback from being 51 points adrift to leading the title race by eight points.
With Rossi getting pole position, and Hayden on the second row, not many fans gave much for Hayden’s chances of the title. However, a poor start followed by a crash on lap five for the Italian meant that the American’s third place finish gave him the title by five points. Rossi remounted to finish 13th.
A move to the 800cc machines (and Honda supposedly developing their machine around Pedrosa) meant that Nicky’s star never shone as bright. He’d also ride for Ducati in MotoGP and eventually move to World Superbikes where he’d become one of the few riders to take wins in both championships.
Nicky still had so much more to give to racing and also a life outside of racing to enjoy. Sadly, it was not to be. On 17 May, 2017, Nicky was hit riding his bicycle when he was hit by a car. He had severe injuries and died five days later.
We’d like to remember him for winning that title 20 years ago, coming into the pits in tears of joy being met by his family. A magical moment, becoming the only racer to beat Rossi to the MotoGP title in the 990cc era of 2002–2006.
Nicky Hayden: 1981–2017
1999 AMA Supersport champion
2002 AMA Superbike champion
2006 MotoGP world champion
The original article appeared in Classic Motorcycle Mechanics. To subscribe to the magazine rammed with hints, tips and nostalgia please click HERE
