Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

The Americans: whole life to race my home Gp, so I figured I could wait another 20 minutes before I went out. I wasn't too bothered. "Definitely, coming out of the gate this afternoon I was able to string together some quick laps, and the bike feels okay," he continued. ':And the areas that you can make time around here, over the hill, a few places, the Corkscrew, I feel pretty good. Tomorrow, I'll be looking to see what tire. you know, we want to run for the race. Turn five, I feel like I'm definitely losing some time there. The bike's pretty unstable on the brakes. So, we've got some work to do. We'll see what happens." Hayden clocked the fastest-ever lap by a motorcycle at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, a I:24.22B in the final of »"Only thing I've won lately is that stupid Dating Game thing [on NBC's 'Today' show], and it doesn't feel near as good as this." Friday: "So far so good," Hayden said after setting fast time on the first day of his home Grand Prix. "Definitely nice to be home. Really happy with the way things started out. I realize it's only Friday and a long way to go, so we got a lot of work to do tomorrow." Hayden said that, though he was excited, he didn't sleep badly. "I definitely did a few laps in my head pretty much since last August. Still, you just do what you do, ride a motorcycle. I mean, can't really try any harder, because I think some races I try too hard as it is, and it hurts me. So even though you want to win so bad and do so good, the more you think about it sometimes, and the more you try. I wish it would help you, but sometimes it makes it worse. "Definitely, this morning I was pretty excited. We had that 20-minute break [before the first session could begin] and that was kind of lame, but 1mean I've waited my crashed in that corner when I tested once and in a race, and I hurt my hand in that corner once. I was running the track. I joked, after I got done running, I went down there and had a little talk with that corner. Had to get some issues straight. I feel like I'm getting off that corner pretty good." At the end of the session, Hayden said he was feeling the love. "They seem to be into it," he said, "especially at the end of the session, when 1was quickest. Really cool feeling. I know what these other guys have been feeling the last couple of years with their tracks. It's really nice to see all the people. I don't really have time to stop and so much stuff going on this weekend and been busy, definitely the crowd seems to be into it and having fun and weather seems good, and hopefully [we'll] have a good safe weekend and everybody get their money's worth." Among the crowd is the Owensboro, Kentucky, contingent that Hayden couldn't three Friday practice sessions. "It definitely helps knowing the track," he said. "I mean these guys are World Champions. They're not rookies. It's not like you're racing some local club guys that know the track. I mean, there's a few places around here that you can know that will help you. I mean, three hours of track time, I think everybody for the most part learned their way around all right." Hayden said he remembered the track being very big. "The straightaways I thought were long," he said. "The first few laps were definitely a handful. I was sick to my stomach, just so much up and down. You know, it's got some really fun parts to the track - coming down the hill from Rainey Curve, those two cor- really only get out of fourth gear one time, I know on the Hondas. It's really tight, and some of these little tight comers aren't so much fun, but I really enjoy still coming down the hill through Rainey Curve into the right-hander; [it] is really fun to ride through." Addressing the safety issues of the track, Hayden said Laguna Seca is the "kind of track I grew up on where it really pays to be aggressive. It's tight, the bike's spinning, things are moving, and just stuff's happening. We don't have big, long straightaways where you can think about anything here. You've just got to go, go, go to put the lap together. I mean it's what I know." What he also knew is that he needed a good start. "This track is not easy to pass," he acknowledged. "I haven't been to a track yet that's real easy to pass. There's a few places around here to pas, but a guy that can get up front can make something happen. Definitely getting a good start and good grid position will be important. I've been getting good starts lately. Need another one tomorrow." Flag-to-flag consistency has eluded Hayden this year. He knew to win his first Grand Prix there could be no letdowns. "I've done race distance on tires this put a number on. "It's a long way from Owensboro," he said. ':A.nd there's also on the East Coast the Nicky Hayden Not everyone in attendance thought that Nicky Hayden would win the U.S. Grand Prix, but most thought coming in that he had one hell of a chance at it. Turns out, he did. Here's Hayden's day-by-day breakdown of his first U.S. GP. and it's blind, and the cones - it's tough." Hayden had the best top speed at one point, a testament to his ability to get out of the final turn I I. "That used to be my worst corner," he said. "I used to honestly hate that corner. I amateur dirt track races going on, and my cousins are there and some people I know are at that race. I would say, I mean, 25 to 30 people, probably. But I've actually seen a lot of people from like Lexington and people are telling me, 'I'm from Whitesville, Kentucky,' and all the sticks towns. I thought I knew every town in Kentucky. I've heard a few towns that people said they're from." Saturday: "The last couple of years, I haven't had too many days to really celebrate, and I know today is just qualifying, but it still feels nice to be on pole," Hayden said after taking his first pole position three weeks shy of his 24th birthday. "The laps felt really good. The tires here and the bike... I mean Michelins are working really well, and also the bike seems really comfortable pretty much everywhere, so we're going to see what happens tomorrow." Hayden was holding court in the front- weekend, at least 32 laps, so I feel quite comfortable on that," he said. "Definitely, on these bikes, that's the difference a lot of time, is the dude who can put down the laps at the end. That's why I said to the Doc [Rossi], that's why he's got the extra zero on his contract, because he does it at the end of the race when the tires are really tough. So, I mean, I've been working on that a lot. Yeah, it should be okay tomorrow." Sunday: "I don't know what to say," Nicky Hayden said during his postvietory press conference. "It's like I've been practicing this speech for a long time, I can't even put into words. It's just an awesome feeling. Sure, the fans made me feel unbelievable today. They really came out and supported this race. I'm sure all the riders wanted to come back, and I think the fans wanted it bad enough, and it showed today to see the hillsides full. I hope MotoGP's here to stay. 1 think it was a good show. It's got to be in America if it's an international sport. We got to Malaysia and all these other places that row press conference. On one side was Valentino Rossi; Alex Barros was on the other. make it international, but it can't really be international until we come here to the U.S. I think it's important to sponsors and teams. "I feel pretty good," Hayden said. "We haven't really changed too much on the bike this week. Just basically been riding it, just a They do sell a lot of motorcycles here. "It's a great feeling when you go so long ners are awesome - but some of the other few minor things and checking some tires. without winning just to win another motor- corners are definitely a bit tight on MotoGP. But tomorrow's going to be tough. I know these boys all bring their A-game. I'm expecting a good race. I felt pretty good with my pace. I enjoy racing at the front. I'm looking forward to a good battle and just going cycle race," he continued. "Only thing I've won lately is that stupid Dating Game thing [on NBC's 'Today' show], and it doesn't feel near as good as this. I got out front and, I borne. after it." "We're getting out of it really good over the hill," he said. "We're not maybe just dragging the brake and close the throttle almost all the way and open it up just a little Asked by a reporter to describe the difference between his RC-51 and the RC21 IV, Hayden said, "On a Superbike, it [the track] seemed a lot bigger. Those straightaways, I But, dude, I was starting to feel a little bit. First home GP. Just all the people. My first bit down for turn two. It's really loose over remember them being much longer. On a there, spinning a lot on the edge of the tire, GP bike, things are happening qUick. We Turn one definitely separates the men from the boys on this thing." Hayden said he had to drag the brake over the turn-one crest [0 avoid getting air- joked, the only pressure was in my tires. pole. Brad Pitt coming over and wishing me good luck. Pressure kept getting a little bit more and more, and I was like, 'Let's just start this party.' ':<\nd I just out to a good start and put my CYCLE NEWS • JULY 20,2005 27

• Cover