Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

I IN THE Daredevil Bachelor he squealing girls aren't wrong. Nicky Hayden is hot, confirmed by no less an authority than People Magazine. which named the 23-year-old Kentuckian one of its Hottest Bachelors of 2005. The company is select. with fellow motorcyclists Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Colin Farrell among them. And there are others, such as Academy Award winner Jamie Fox>< and Darth Vader himself, Hayden Christensen, once Anakin Skywalker. None of whom can ride an RC21 IV at ten-tenths. The crowd is impressive to all except Hayden. Racing motorcycles is what he does, and he wants nothing more than to win. something he hadn't done since 2003. That is. until last week. T In front of a nationwide audience of 6 mil- lion. Hayden showed his easygoing charm on the "Today" show. With host AI Reker moderating, Hayden and two of his fellow "hot" bachelors played along with a re-creation of "The Dating Game." held on Rockefeller Plaza outside the "Today" show studios. Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Dhani Jones (a Harley rider), and singer/songwriter Keith Anderson joined the Repsol Honda rider in trying to win the heart of bachelorette Sara Hostetter. 25. a Seattle resident plucked from the "Today" show audience. It certainly wasn't the first time Hayden had been on television. but it was his largest exposure in the United States. "It's just a different kind of nervous." Hayden said of appearing on the most widely viewed morning show in America. "On a starting line, I guess you get nervous, but more excited. It's a different feeling. That feeling on the starting line. that's what I live for. I love that. This is not what really gets too much to me." All three were asked a general question and one specific to their field. To Hayden, Bachelor Number Thnee. Hostetter asked. "I like a man who can drive fast. Whether on a car or on a bike. what's the fastest you've gone?" "I'm your man. I get paid to go fast." Hayden said. adding. "I've gone 215 to 218 top speed. so pretty fast." When the moment of truth came. the blond bachelorette tipped her hand early. "I really like a man who can sing and I love athletes. and I don't know if my mom's going to be too happy about this. but I love a man who can ride fast, she said. "It's kind of funny. I finally won something this year." Hayden said later in the "Today" show green room. "It's kind of nice. Originally I didn't plan on coming back from Europe. I don't mind doing this stuff, but I really want to win races. I don't care about winning this bachelor stuff and things like that. It's definitely good for the sponsors. Seems to be getting a lot of interest for the U.S. GP, which is important for everybody." Hayden confessed that he wasn't sure what the "Today" show was. "I said. 'You mean. "Good Morning America?·.... Hayden said. But once his segment aired, the text mesIt The moment of truth: Hostetter kisses Hayden. Hayden was chosen as the winner of the Dating Game on the "Today" show last week. Host AI Raker looks on as Sara Hostetter makes a run at Hayden. Laguna Gets the Nod The FIM's official track inspector. Claude Danis. visited Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca last week and gave the thumbs up on the track follOWing its $2-million track improvement project prior to next month's United States Grand Prix. The 2.238-mile. II-turn track is now officially homologated for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix that's slated for July 8-10. "The inspection was very good," Danis said. "We can see that all of the work we requested to be done was completed properly. There are some provisional protective devices [I.e. Air Fence and hay bales] to be installed before the race. The tra.ck is in con- 8 dition to be homologated for MotoGP''' Suzuki MotoGP rider Kenny Roberts Jr.• the 2000 World Champion, visited the circuit a few weeks ago as a riders' safety representative and was very positive about the changes made to the circuit. "Laguna Seca has done 100 percent within their capability to make the track as safe as possible for the MotoGp," the Modesto, California. native said. "They have made significant changes in all areas that they were able to make changes in. In my opinion. they have done the best job on the curbs in comparison to any other racetrack. and this will significantly reduce the riders' risk and work- JUNE 29, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS Nicky Hayden is in the newest issue of People Magazine as one of its Ho"est Bachelors of 2005. sages started filling his cell phone screen. "I didn't really realize how big this show is until my phone started ringing afterwards:' he said. So unimpressed was the Repsol Honda rider that he wasn't that keen on having People Magazine send a photographer to his house. "I thought they'd just use a picture from the track," he said. But they insisted. and the photo of Hayden in a sleeveless Red Bull T-shirt leads off the daredevil section. "My mom actually always reads the magazine:' Hayden said. "I don't really think too much about that stuff. That's not what I do." With a Monday test after his fifth at Catalunya. and with the Dutch TT falling on a Saturday. June 25. Hayden normally wouldn't have flown home. But he understood that the exposure of seeing him and the Repsol Honda replica CBRIOOORR on the "Today" show was a net positive. But, he said, it didn't "necessarily mean they're going to tune in to Holland next week to watch the GP. "I think it's my duty to help." he said. "I always try to represent motorcycles in a good way. Racing has been so good to me and my family. I love bikes at all levels. It's nice to help the country see that it's not just all Hell's Angels and bikers. There's good people that ride bikes, too." People Magazine thinks Hayden is one of them. People's Danielle Dubin said the Hottest Bachelor issue is a yearlong effort. "We have correspondents all over the world, and they send suggestions and submissions in to us," she said. "He really met all the criteria that we have for a hot guy - mainly. he's hot. He's also at the top of his game and doing something a little unusual. It fits in really well with our daredevil section. He races motorcycles at very high speed. He races the top inter- national circuit. He's clearly successful. At 23 years old. he's a pretty accomplished guy and a catch by anyone's standards." Dubin was impressed with Hayden's willingness to take part in the fake "Dating Show." "He's game, he was willing to do it and was willing to have fun with it:' she said. "I think that says a lot about himself and his attitude. He was willing to participate in the 'Dating Game' and come up and join us today. I think I would add easygoing and (un to the list of great qualities he has." As to the size of the original pool of bachelors, she said, "It's enormous. I don't even know that we can count it. And also you have to understand that all year long, guys that are bachelors are no longer bachelors. So it's really a constant ebb and flow of bachelors, and it starts out pretty big. We're seeing who's still available as we get closer. and again he's really doing well and at the top of his game. We're looking to present the hottest." Hayden got a different kind of heat from his friends in Owensboro. ':Already got some text messages saying. 'I've fallen hard.' And 'Is this the one? Am I bringing her home for Christmas?' Some other stuff I shouldn't say they've already asked:' he said. "I'm sure I'll get a little bit of heat on it. But it's all good fun." Henny Ray Abrams load. I believe from a riders' safety represenbrought in over a two-week period. Tickets are still available for the Red Bull tative standpoint that. barring any freak accidents, then Laguna will be a very safe U.S. Grand Prix by calling 800/327-SECA or MotoGP circuit." logging on to www.laguna-seca.com or Work began on the track back in January www.ticketmaster.com. with the relocation of the tum-nine bridge .....-----~ and excavation of the hillside on the outside of the turn. Following the rainy season. a 45-day period of construction began on May 2. The $2-million improvement project is being funded by Yamaha Motor Company and includes improvements in every tum around the circuit, according to the racetrack. The building of new gravel beds and the enlarging of existing beds was a major part of the project. More than 15.000 tons of gravel was

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