By Paul Carruthers
Photos By Gold & Goose
In 2006, Nicky Hayden accomplished
what no American has done since. He
was crowned MotoGP World Champion
2006 MotoGP 2006 MotoGP
T
he 2006 season wasn't an easy one for Nicky Hayden, but easy
wasn't what Hayden was about. Nicky liked to be challenged,
and nothing beat a hard day's work. He was the epitome of
"hard work beats talent." But in Hayden's case, he would not
only outwork you, he also had the talent to back it up.
Simply put, he had it all.
Nicky's MotoGP career started in 2003, and it went well. Teamed with the almighty
Valentino Rossi on arguably the best team in the business, Hayden finished fifth in the
championship after an impressive two-podium debut season on his Repsol Honda.
World World
Champion Champion
