Nicky Hayden to be Grand Marshall of Lucas Oil Indy Mile AMA Pro Grand National Event

2006 MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden returns to his AMA flat track roots at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile August 28th at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

(INDIANAPOLIS)  Nicky Hayden will be the Grand Marshall of the Lucas Oil Indy Mile AMA Pro K&N Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com Series event on Saturday, August 28, 2010.  Hayden, in Indianapolis to ride his Ducati at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, will travel across town to the legendary Indy Mile at the Indiana State Fairgrounds to meet the thousands of dirt-track fans who will gather to watch the “Crown Jewel” of flat track motorcycle racing.  Hayden, 29, from nearby Owensboro, Kentucky is known worldwide as the “Kentucky Kid.” Hayden achieved his earlier career success on the dirt tracks of America.  He is currently in his eighth season of the internationally acclaimed MotoGP World Championship, riding for Ducati.  He made history when he won the world championship in MotoGP in just his fourth season in 2006.

At the Lucas Oil Indy Mile, Hayden will find highly competitive Ducati brethren. In May of 2010, a Ducati-powered machine ridden by Joe Kopp won its first flat track mile ending seventeen years of Grand National Twins domination by Harley Davidson.  The Lloyd Brothers Motorsports Ducati Flat Track Project first brought the Italian engine to the Lucas Oil Indy Mile in 2009 with Larry Pegram aboard. With Nicky Hayden’s appearance, Ducati has extra incentive to repeat the Joe Kopp triumph and go for a Grand National Twins win.

The announcement of Nicky Hayden becoming the Lucas Oil Indy Mile Grand Marshall is made in honor of Nicky’s outstanding motorcycle racing career.  Riding since three years old, racing since five and winning fifteen amateur titles, Nicky made motorcycle racing his professional career in 1997.  It was at the Indy Mile in 1999 when he picked up the prestigious Ricky Graham Rookie of the Year award from the AMA Pro Grand National series.  That year he was also named the AMA/Speedvision Athlete of the Year for his remarkably successful season competing in three different AMA classes.

With a limited dirt track racing career, Nicky has won a total of six Grand National Championship races on Short Track, TT and Half-Mile race tracks.

While coming up through the dirt track ranks, Nicky’s eyes were set on a full time road race career. Nicky has 17 AMA Pro Racing Superbike wins, the 2002 AMA Superbike Championship, 6 AMA Pro Racing Supersport wins, 1999 Supersport Championship, 5 AMA Pro Racing Superstock wins, 1998 Superstock Championship and 7 AMA Pro Racing Formula Extreme wins.

In 2003 after a successful dirt track and road race career in the U.S., Nicky turned his focus to the World MotoGP Championship series. Nicky has three MotoGP wins and became the MotoGP World Champion in 2006.

“We’re honored to have a U.S. and World Champion such as Nicky Hayden serve as Grand Marshal”, said Mike Moore, President of The Promotion Company-Family Events, producers of the Lucas Oil Indy Mile.  “It’s a fitting tribute Nicky’s many accomplishments, especially here at the legendary Lucas Oil Indy Mile where he was first honored as a rookie”, Moore said.