American Racer Nicky Hayden Passes Away

Monday evening dealt a severe blow to motorsport fans as Nicky Hayden succumbed to injuries sustained after he was hit by a car while cycling in Rimmi Coast, Italy. The American rider was undergoing treatment at the trauma center at the Bufalini Hospital in Cesena where his condition was critical. Fans were praying and hoping for the popular rider’s health to improve but sadly that didn’t happen and he breathed his last with his family and close friends next to him. Like most American racers, Hayden started his career by winning the AMA Pro flat Track championship and then went on to be crowned the 2002 AMA Pro Superbike Champion. 

Honda realised the talent of the American rider and he was signed as their factory rider alongside MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi. He made his premiere class debut in 2003 but struggled in his initial years of MotoGP as he hadn’t ridden in most of the tracks and was also adapting his riding style to suit the Honda RC211V GP bike. 2005 was a good year for Nicky Hayden as he registered his first MotoGP win at Laguna Seca  and finished the season in 3rd place. His crowning glory was in 2006, when he became the MotoGP champion and ended Valentino Rossi’s winning streak. Hayden still remains the last American rider to win a MotoGP championship.

Despite the high of 2006, the following years were difficult for the American rider and in 2009, he moved to Ducati factory team and spent four years racing for the Italian bikemaker. Given his poor run at Ducati, Hayden moved to the satellite Ducati team and quit MotoGP in 2015 to pursue Superbike World Championship, popularly known as WSBK. In his debut season for Honda, Hayden was able to win one race and finish a credible 5th. The 2017 season didn’t go according to plans for Nicky Hayden as he was struggling with the new Honda CBR1000RR and his best finish was 7th position before his untimely death. 

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Nicky Hayden will always be remembered by fans for his wonderful performance on the track and being a thorough gentleman off the tarmac. Even the riders who raced against Hayden looked up to him in high regard for his warm and friendly nature. The “Kentucky Kid” as he was popularly known will forever be  in the hearts of motorsport enthusiasts but his infectious smile will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayer are with his family and friends, Ride In Peace Champ.