Ducati’s Nicky Hayden qualified at Indianapolis on the front row for the first time and after signing with the Italian manufacturer’s MotoGP factory team for another two years was granted permission to ride a few demonstration laps around the historic Indy Mile dirt track, before before performing his duties as the Grand Marshall of the race.
Hayden who first started his career as dirt-tracker, won six Grand National Championship races on Short Track, TT and Half-Mile race tracks and in 1999 received the prestigious Ricky Graham Rookie of the Year award.
The Kentucky Kid took Joe Kopp’s Hypermotard 1100EVO powered flat–tracker around the Indy Mile and looks like he hasn’t lost his touch at all.