MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden to attend the 2011 TT
Wednesday 13 April 2011
TT
Ducati MotoGP star Nicky Hayden will attend the 2011 Isle of Man TT fuelled by Monster Energy as part of the Mountain Course Centenary celebrations.
The 2006 World Champion's visit, on Wednesday June 8, will see Hayden ride in the Arai Parade lap with Ian Hutchinson, who won all five solo races at the 2010 TT, and five-times 500cc World Champion Mick Doohan. He will also start and present the trophy for the Monster Energy Supersport Race 2.
The charismatic American, whose Ducati teammate Valentino Rossi has already ridden the Mountain course, finished on the podium in the second race of the MotoGP season at Jerez following his 9th place at the opening round at Qatar. He will ne racing at the British Grand Prix just days after his TT visit.
Hayden said:
"I’m really looking forward to going to the Isle of Man. I’ve been to pretty much every kind of motorcycle race you can imagine - the Daytona 200, the Jerez MotoGP, the Anaheim Supercross, the Namur World Motocross - but I’ve never been to the Isle of Man or any other real street race."
"The TT is just one of those events that every race fan wants to see eventually."
"I’m a huge fan of motorcycle racing of any kind, and I feel like this one is definitely something I’m missing. People have always told me, ‘You need to go to the TT,’ and now I’m finally going to get my chance."
"I’m really looking forward to meeting the riders, and I want to see what they do and how they do it. I’m not sure what to expect, but I do know it takes a brave rider, which is something I respect.”
Hayden is the youngest AMA Superbike Champion in history, winning the title aged 21 in 2002, the same year he took victory in the Daytona 200. He moved to MotoGP in 2003, winning the Rookie of the Year title in his debut season and ending the season fifth overall.
He finished 3rd in the 2005 Championship, the year he won his first race at Laguna Seca in the USA. He won the MotoGP Championship in 2006, clinching the title in the last race of the season at Valencia.
Isle of Man Government TT and Motorsport Development Manager Paul Phillips said:
"I’m sure that TT fans will give Nicky Hayden a fantastic welcome when he visits the Isle of Man this year."
"His trip will be a real boost for the event and will help us increase our profile worldwide. He is one of the great names in modern motorcycle racing and we are sure that he’ll enjoy his introduction to road racing."