Frankfort,KY : Ex-MotoGP champion, Laguna Seca favorite Hayden dies after bike crash on may, Saturday 20th 2017

Former MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden, a popular driver at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, died in the hospital Monday, five days after he was hit by a car while training on his bicycle. Hayden was 35.

Maurizio Bufalini Hospital in Cesena, where Hayden had been since the collision last Wednesday, made the announcement. Hayden had severe cerebral damage and multiple traumatic injuries.

Hayden had a special relationship with Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The 11-turn, 2.238-mile circuit was the only U.S. stop in the international MotoGP series during the height of the American rider’s career. Known as the “Kentucky Kid” for his birthplace, Hayden achieved superstar status by scoring his first career MotoGP win when the track in Monterey hosted the 2005 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. He repeated the feat during his championship season in 2006.

Laguna Seca has been the site of additional milestones in the career of Hayden and brothers Roger and Tommy, who are also professional riders.

At 16 years old, Hayden scored his first AMA 750 Supersport win there in 1998. When Hayden switched to the World Superbike Challenge in 2016, fans clamored to see their hero return to the Monterey Peninsula at the 2016 Motul FIM World Superbike Championship GEICO U.S. Round.

He was expected to receive another warm homecoming celebration at this year’s event on July 7-9.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Nicky Hayden,” Gill Campbell, CEO and general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, said in a statement. “He was an outstanding racer and, more than that, an incredible human being. The memories he created on the track are unforgettable, and he had such a special connection to his fans. Nicky was more than a rider. He was a friend. Words just don’t describe the loss. My heart goes out to his family, friends, and fans.”

Hayden was training on the Rimini coast following a motorcycle race at nearby Imola. The black Peugeot car that hit Hayden had its front windshield smashed.

Judicial authorities have opened an investigation into the incident and questioned the 30-year-old driver of the Peugeot.

Hayden won the MotoGP title in 2006, finishing narrowly ahead of Italian great Valentino Rossi.

In a MotoGP career spanning 2003-16 with Honda and Ducati, Hayden posted three victories and 28 podium finishes in 218 races.

After switching to the World Superbike championship last year, Hayden finished fifth overall.

Hayden was 13th in Superbike this season, riding for the Red Bull Honda team.




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Ex-MotoGP champion, Laguna Seca favorite Hayden dies after bike crash