WHATCHATHINKIN'

The MotoGP race held in Austin, TX, at COTA the last weekend in March celebrated the legacy of Nicky Hayden. If you are even slightly involved in the motorcycle world, you know that Nicky Hayden was the last American to hold the MotoGP Championship title, won in 2006. Witnesses during this weekend was Nicky’s winning Repsol Honda, as well as many other dedications to this man, taken from us at too early an age. I saw Marc Marquez silently walk over to this bike, touching it and kissing his fingers as well as Jorge Martin riding the track after the race carrying Nicky’s flag. Respect and honor from two world champions to another.

So why, in the past twenty years, has there not been another? Even an American presence in MotoGP is lacking, with Colin Edwards riding for various teams from 2003-2014 and Ben Spies for Yamaha, Suzuki and Ducati from 2008-2013. Currently, American home grown Joe Roberts is racing in Moto2, but that’s about the extent of US involvement.

What has changed in the past 50 years, as the 70s, 80s and 90s saw the United States ruling MotoGP? We had King Kenny Roberts with three consecutive world championships, Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey and Kevin Schwantz all with multiple titles. There are a few circumstances which brought about the decline of American participation but most notably is cost. To truly become part of the MotoGP world, a rider must, of course, have the talent. Next is family support, as the real training takes part on kart tracks using Ohvale GP-0 160cc and GP-2 190cc motorcycles in Europe with finals in Valencia, Spain. Training academies take riders from age 10 through 16 who then compete in a series of races, readying them to move through the levels of various Talent Cups and, hopefully, a ride in Moto3. The commitment to spend this amount of time overseas with the slightest of chances to actually move through the Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP classes is overwhelming. This whole process is known as the ‘Road to MotoGP’

I just received a press release regarding Aprilia’s entry, introduced in 2023, for young talent wishing to make their debut at major circuits. The Trofeo Aprilia RS 457 is a single-make championship, consisting of five rounds in Italy, with an entry fee of 3,270 Euro + VAT (approx.. $3800) and the motorcycle, with race configuration, 10,249 Euro (approx.. $11825). This doesn’t take into consideration the cost of travel, room and board while in Italy from May to October. How does a 14-year-old talented American racer do this?

Another factor may be that there’s a more cost-effective way of going racing – supercross and motocross. This is, and always has been, a family affair. You’ll see trailers, campers, tents and small villages set up at any track you visit. The comradery, even though the competition is fierce, is everywhere. In addition, factory support from Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, KTM, Triumph and Ducati is very real. And with factory support comes factory money, with the most talented 16- and 17-year olds being signed for between $300,000 and $400,000 a season, with potential millions more with wins and titles. Young riders see the likes of Jett Lawrence jetsetting and think, ‘Hey, why not me?’ This and the fact they can do most of their racing on US soil is quite the draw.

So, how did Nicky make his way to a MotoGP title? He and his brothers started riding in Owensboro, KY, when they were in diapers. It was a family affair, as Momma and Poppa Hayden both raced, as well as his other siblings. At age three Nicky entered his first minibike dirt track race at Paducah Int’l Raceway, in 1985. Seeking stiffer competition over the years, the family traveled further and Nicky entered his first AMA Amateur National Dirt Track event in 1989. In 1990, the Haydens swept the 65cc class at the Nationals and Nicky looked towards road racing, mounting a Yamaha YSR50 to race in Texas at the CMRA. He continued competing in both dirt and road, sidelined a bit due to his being underage. In 1997, on his 16thbirthday, Nicky turned pro and took part in the remainder of the AMA races that year. Over the next years he competed in 600 and 750 Supersport and substituted for injured Honda teammate Miguel Duhamel in AMA Superbike for four races, taking his first podium at the finale at Pikes Peak Int’l Raceway. Now a Honda factory rider, he continued his winning ways and in 2002 had his first victory at the Daytona 200, finishing the season as the youngest AMA Superbike Champion. 2003 saw him move to the top tier of motorcycling, entering MotoGP with Repsol Honda on an RC211V with his first race on April 6, 2003, his first podium at Motegi and second at Philip Island, earning him Rookie of the Year. July of 2005 at the home turf of Laguna Seca saw Nicky’s first victory, with five more that year, giving him third place in the championship. This lifetime of two-wheeled immersion brought him to his lifelong dream of becoming a world champion, which he did at Valencia in 2006.

It was a different time, and a young racer from Owensboro, Kentucky was able to climb this amazing ladder without the Road to MotoGP but instead by taking the backroads from local dirt tracks to distant road courses, by being consistently good and more often great. And he was an equally great person, as all around him agreed. This mixture is what it took, at that point in time, to be on the Road to MotoGP.