FEATURE
NICKY HAYDEN MEMORIAL
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positive memories I have from
that day. Forza Nicky, we're all
with you."
Hayden was raised in a rac-
ing family. His father Earl and
mother Rose raced, as did
Nicky's two brothers and two sis-
ters while growing up in Owens-
boro, Kentucky. Nicky, his older
brother Tommy and younger
brother Roger Lee emerged
as three of the elite motorcycle
racers in America, both in AMA
Grand National Flat Track and
AMA National Road Racing. All
three became national road rac-
ing champions.
In 2002 the trio made his-
tory by sweeping the podium at
the Springfield (Illinois) TT Dirt
Track Grand National, with Nicky
winning and Tommy and Roger
(Left) WERA Pro Series announcer
Glenn Billings interviews a young
Nicky Hayden (with Moto Liberty's
Sam Yamashita standing in the
background) after Hayden finished
a close second to Marcello Del
Giudice in the Moto Liberty
Formula III final at Indianapolis
Raceway Park in August of 1992.
The title
victory
starts to
sink in.
(Below) Assen 2006 was a pivotal round in what would be Hayden's MotoGP
championship season. He and Colin Edwards went toe-to-toe for the win,
until Edwards fell at the final corner. The five points Hayden gained for the
win was the same margin of victory in the title at year's end.
