DaSilva Recipient Of Nicky Hayden AMA
Road Race Horizon Award
G
abriel DaSilva was named
the 2020 Nicky Hayden
AMA Road Race Horizon Award
winner, one of four riders to
receive AMA awards at the 2020
AMA Road Race Grand Champi-
onship.
DaSilva, 16, from Vero Beach,
Florida, competed in AMA 600
Superbike Expert and AMA
600 Superstock Expert, win-
ning those classes on a Yamaha
YZF-R6 by a combined margin of
13.02 seconds. He also finished
second on the same motorcycle
in AMA 1000 Superbike Expert.
This is the third AMA Road
Racing Grand National Champi-
onship victory that DaSilva has
earned at the 2.38-mile, 17-turn
Alabama circuit. He won the
AMA 600 Superstock Expert title
in 2019.
"I was pretty surprised to win
it," DaSilva said of the Horizon
Award. "I met Nicky—also, his
parents—at a couple of MotoGP
events."
DaSilva especially admires
one of Hayden's former team-
mates, two-time MotoGP World
Champion Casey Stoner.
"I really liked the way he rode
and how fast he was," he said.
The Nicky Hayden AMA Road
Race Horizon Award is pre-
sented to the rider showing the
most promise for success in the
professional ranks. Past win-
ners of the award have included
Blake Davis, Dallas Daniels, Jody
Barry, Xavier Zayat, Anthony
Mazziotto III, Hayden Gillim, Jake
Lewis, Miles Thornton, Blake
Young and Ben Spies.
DaSilva hopes to continue his
racing career in the MotoAmeri-
ca Series in 2021. CN
IN
THE
WIND
P52
AMA Program
Development Manager
Joe Bromley presents
Gabriel DaSilva with
the 2020 Nicky Hayden
AMA Road Race
Horizon Award.
PHOTO: JOE HANSEN
