VOL. 50 ISSUE 33 AUGUST 20, 2013
P27
WHERE'S NICKY GOING?
N
Nicky Hayden is confident of landing a good ride for 2014.
Laguna Seca was in trouble, but that's
not the case according to Mazda
Raceway Laguna Seca CEO/General
Manager Gill Campbell.
"It has absolutely no bearing on
what we are doing," Campbell said
when contacted on Monday morning.
"We have a contract through 2014 and
we'll be negotiating our future contract
within the next year. It doesn't affect
us at all – we're not going anywhere."
When asked if she believes Dorna will continue to have three U.S.
Grands Prix, Campbell said, "That's
a good question because I always
understood that the understanding
was that there was only room for two
in America, but maybe Indianapolis
picked up this year and they thought it
was worthwhile doing. I haven't talked
to Dorna at all about this, but again my
understanding is that now we will have
three again."
"There's a couple of good opportunities and a lot of things
brewing," he said. "We don't really know the potential of the
production bikes next year.
LCR team owner Lucio Cecchinello said on TV that he was
exploring the possibility of running a second bike alongside
Stefan Bradl's factory-backed machine. "It's still a dream for
me, but maybe there is a small possibility," he said. "I am
talking with HRC and American Honda to see if the budget
is there to have a second bike in this team."
It's known that Honda has also expressed interest in
Hayden for their Pata World Superbike team, but the Hayden
clan worries that the CBR1000RR isn't competitive enough
to give him a shot at a World Superbike title.
"After these few years… it's not like I have any factory
bikes lining up, but I have a lot of people wanting me to get
something," Hayden said on Saturday at the Speedway. "I'll
definitely get something, but it's a matter of getting on something good. But it's nice to see the phone ring, especially
after these last few years. People have a small memory and
they forget quick. If you're mid-pack you get lost quick, so
it's good to have some things moving and a lot of sponsors
that do want to help me. We'll see if we can do something."
Michael Scott/Paul Carruthers
Michael Scott
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
icky Hayden, dropped by
Ducati after this year, has
not yet decided whether to take
up the company's offer of a berth
in World Superbikes or switch
to one of the new-generation
MotoGP production-racers next
year.
He is in talks with several
teams, including LCR Honda and
NGM Forward, with the latter
to field Yamaha M1 clones next
year. The most likely move would
be to the Honda.
Hayden admitted he was talking to the team at the Indy MotoGP.
