L
ike a teenager waiting at the DMV for the doors to
swing open on their 16th birthday, Nicky Hayden
started his professional road racing career in
the same manner. As soon as he could after
turning 16, he jumped right in. His professional
racing career began at Pikes Peak International Raceway
in Colorado in 1997 with a 12th-place finish in the 600cc
Supersport final and 13th in the 750cc Supersport race.
In an AMA career that started in 1997 and ended in
2002, Nicky amassed 35 wins across five classes: 17
in Superbike, seven in Formula Xtreme, six in 600cc
Supersport, and four in 750cc Supersport.
His first victory came on April 18, 1999 in the Formula
Xtreme race at Willow Springs International Raceway in
Southern California. His AMA career came to a close with a
victory on August 10, 2002, and that victory earned him the
2002 AMA Superbike Championship.
Hayden won nine Superbike races en route to his title,
including a run of five in a row early in the season.
Nicky's run to the 1999 AMA 600cc Supersport title
came via five wins. It was also bittersweet as he had to
beat his older brother Tommy to get that championship.
The series was dominated in 1999 by Nicky and Tommy
with the Hayden duo winning seven of 12 races while
finishing one-two in the title chase.
Nicky also won seven Formula Xtreme races in 1999 but
was beaten to the title by his teammate Kurtis Roberts.
Nicky
And The
AMA Years
By Paul Carruthers
Photos By Brian J. nelson
>
Nicky Hayden goes for
a crowd surf after winning
both AMA Superbike races
at Road Atlanta in 2002.
