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RIP Nicky Hayden

5K views 32 replies 17 participants last post by  marcofango 
#1 · (Edited)
#3 ·
I encourage everyone to read The First Family of Racing written by Nicky's dad Earl. I just got done reading it last week and man does my heart ache for the Hayden family. I feel so close to them after reading that book. Prayers to the family in this terrible time.


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#5 ·
I do not have the words to express my sadness. We lost a great rider and an even better human being. I never had the pleasure of meeting him personally but I was fortunate enough to spend a little time chatting with his brother at the MA round and if they are anything alike, the world will be a lesser place for his passing.
 
#6 ·
Brother Slo, I too have found myself with an utter lack of appropriate words to adequately express my sorrow. Brothers Off Camber and commiehunter are correct in assessing that Nick Hayden was not only a brilliant motorcycle racer, but was in deed a superior human being.

I was fortunate to talk with him on three different occasions, he was always patient, kind, respectful and showed moments of humour whilst in the broiler that is AMA/GP racing. I became an instant fan. I wore an Arai RX-7 Corsair Hayden replica helmet for years - it was a perfect match for my CBR 1000RR. On a personal note, I've decided to permanently retire this helmet.

Pic. 1) My Hayden rep a-top the fuel tank of my red RR, taking a break in the Columbia River Gorge.
Pic. 2) My Hayden rep, rear view.
Pic. 3) Hayden Arai RX-7 Corsair, side view.
Pic. 4) Taking a break in the Redwoods, CA.
 

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#8 ·
I am unable to get Nick Hayden out of my thoughts. But what are those thoughts?

First, a quick right hand extended to shake my hand. He had remembered me (slightly) from the previous year when I first met him. That previous year he had won the AMA Superbike title. And now he was in the Premiere Class of MotoGP. The last time I met him, he was racing for Ducati. Things were much more difficult for him. Yet, he remembered my first name and immediately came over & shook my hand.

He was warm and genuine. On that occasion I told him I owned his replica Arai. Then that is then second thing I so thoroughly remember about him: that 'Hollywood-esque' smile that came to his face so easily. I always 'check my gear whenever I go to the races. But he told me to stop by with it, and he'd be gladly sign it for me. I never did get around to it.

And yet I did not make that mistake with my Wayne Rainy Shoei X-10 replica. I got one the 1st year it was released & did have him autographed​ the back of it. It been retired ever since (See below pix). With Nicky Hayden, I thought I'd have another chance.:crying

Although being born & raised in Kentucky, Nick had a cross of Southern & West Coast ease about him. Ever the gentleman. One could just tell his parents had done tremendous job raising him.

Mr Hayden you are and evermore shall be missed. R.I.P.
 

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#9 ·
I may have posted this in another thread...can't remember...but:

I first saw him (and Tommy) at Memphis in 91. They were both riding Honda 125s in practice, and I was on my ZX-6. I passed them coming onto the front straight (a full NHRA 1/4 mile dragstrip and shutdown area....aka LOOOOOONG), and didn't give them another thought......UNTIL I pitched it into T3. Both of them went under me and gone, like I wasn't even there!! Nicky was 10, Tommy was 13, and I was 35. I came in from practice and asked my pit-mate "who the F*** are those two kids on the 125s??"
He replied "oh, that's Nicky and Tommy Hayden...keep an eye on those two". I have, ever since.

I cried tears of joy with him when he won at Laguna. And again when he clinched the title. And sadly, tears of loss and pain today. RIP, champ. :(
 
#12 ·
I know you posted that on the Ducati forum, and still is a story that I tell to others because it's a very cool one! Getting passed by a 10-year old on a little bike like you're barely moving would be a pretty humbling experience, but knowing that about 14 years later that kid would be MotoGP world champion had to have been a pretty good feeling even if you didn't really know him all that well.

I think I might just watch the 2006 MotoGP season when I get some time. I don't think I've seen all the races in that season since it was before I got into following this sport.
 
#11 ·
#19 ·
Driver in lethal Hayden accident gets suspended sentence

The 31-year-old driver, who was not named throughout the trial, was liable to a one- or two-year jail sentence after being found guilty of road homicide, but judge Vinicio Canatarini decided to lower the penalty, the reasons for which he will reveal in 90 days’ time. The driver has also had his driving licence withdrawn and will pay all court costs.

The court heard that Hayden, who was cycling, was struck by a Peugeot 206 at 70kph on a road in Rimini with a 50kph speed limit on May 17, 2017. Hayden died five days later in hospital.
 
#23 ·
A travesty of justice...really? I get that this guy was speeding...but it was 10mph over the limit. FFS everyone of you do that on a daily basis, and if you tell me you don't you are either a liar or just really love following arbitrary laws.

On top of that, it has been stated that Hayden rolled through a stop sign and that is when the incident occurred. I read from the report on Revzilla he went through the stop sign at around 10mph and was stated to be wearing ear buds at the time. You can also find pictures of the intersection...it's pretty blind from all directions with hedges on either side. Even if the driver was doing closer to the limit, the position in the road his car was at would have been a big factor too. If the driver had been closer to the hedges and doing the speed limit the outcome could have been the same from what I see.

IMO speeding is used to many times to assign blame. The fact that it has been stated the driver did not apply his brakes when Hayden entered the roadway (based on a witness report)would be a better reason to put him at fault, possibly he was distracted by a phone or eating. To use speed as the blame you would need to be able to firmly identify the exact spot the driver identified him, factor in reaction time, and determine the maximum braking capability of that vehicle on that specific surface and current environment (wet, dry, icey, etc).

In reality I think both of them are to blame. Maybe the driver should not have been going 10 over the limit, but can we be certain it would have had a different outcome? Maybe Hayden was planning to turn right onto the main road and went a bit wide, or maybe he thought he could make it to the next lane. Either way it's a shitty outcome for Nicky and the Hayden's but also for the driver and his family. To say it is a travesty of justice, or out right disgusting, or wish the guy would have euthanized himself is a bit far-fetched.
 
#32 ·
Being really sorry for the pilot, and also the kind and intimate person who has been Nicky Hayden, I live some KM from the place where the circuit is.
Take a look at this picture.
Incidente Hayden - E se fosse stato Nicky a sbagliare? La nuova ricostruzione dello schianto scagiona l?autista
In the place where it happens there are walls and bushes on right side, you can't phisically see anyone coming out of the road till he is out of the corner.
Do you really feel free to say that a guy coming out of your right side on a bycicle, in-ear headphones, turning left with no look, is the car driver fault?
I say left because Nicky was charged on the windshield, while if going right he would have been thrown on the side fo the car.

I feel sad for two ruined families, but it was just a bad destiny, not some road killer action.
 
#25 ·
Exactly.

https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/italian-officials-release-report-on-fatal-nicky-hayden-crash

The driver was doing almost 15 mph above the speed limit (73 kph vs 50 kph) into a residential area with poor visibility on both sides of the road. He was driving without regard to others safety and involved in a collision that killed someone. If that isn't enough liability to ensure at least some kind of consequences on not sure what is.

Had Hayden blown the stop sign and got hit by a car that was traveling at the posted speed limit/otherwise operating in a safe manner my opinion would be much different, but that is not what happened.
 
#29 ·
It was an accident, and both of them were at fault. They already proved that. Driver was going over the speed limit (not the end of the world...lots of people do so and still drive safely) and Hayden was riding his bike unsafely (not stopping at stop sign, not paying as much attention as he should have...also not the end of the world, lots of cyclists do that). But combining those factors turned into an accident. Unfortunately hard to argue with the laws of physics, and when car and bicycle collide, it always ends worse for the cyclist.

If Hayden had survived the crash, nobody would be in uproar demanding more jail time or other punishment for the driver. But because he died (was he wearing a helmet??...serious question, because I haven't checked so I don't know) everyone's opinion is far worse now. Nobody, including the driver, wished for this to happen. And I'm sure he feels worse about it than anyone else, especially since he just killed a famous athlete known by millions of people around the entire world. But I don't think it's fair to wish more punishment for the guy. His life is already ruined too, and he's getting some jail time. It's a bad situation for everyone, but at the end of the day it was a non-intentional accident. Plenty of people have killed others in car accidents or car/cyclist accidents and got a lot less punishment than this guy, even here in the states.

This is the main reason I refuse to ride my bicycle on roads. If there's no side-walk or bike lane, then I'm not riding on it. In the end, if you get hit by a car, it doesn't really matter whose fault it is because you're most likely dead and the driver isn't.
 
#30 ·
If this driver got life it would NOT bring Nicky back.

Was he wearing a helmet, I don't know.
Was the driver impaired or just speeding, I have not read if he was cleared of drugs and alcohol.

IF THE DRIVER was innocent (not at fault) and held with NO liability then he should have been given probation up front.
BUT by being given a year sentence he would found to be at some fault.

WHAT PISSES me off is the
Like all sentences up to two years, it was suspended.
Driver who killed Nicky Hayden gets 1 yr - English - ANSA.it

I'm sorry, this is a liberal chicken shit out.
Don't care what country, what language it's BS.
If your given a sentence, you do the time.

Did he pay the funeral expenses. OH, court cost's. Pay off the city and judge and get out of jail.
How many in your city are charged with an accident while driving with no license.

I lost a friend at the age of 12 from a drunk driver. Speeding and drove off the road to hit him.
6 years sentenced, 2 served. Wasn't impressed then or now.

I've leave this alone, what I or anyone else won't change this issue.
Pray it won't affect any of you to make your views change. Senseless loss.
 
#33 · (Edited)
If this driver got life it would NOT bring Nicky back.

Was he wearing a helmet, I don't know.
Was the driver impaired or just speeding, I have not read if he was cleared of drugs and alcohol.

IF THE DRIVER was innocent (not at fault) and held with NO liability then he should have been given probation up front.
BUT by being given a year sentence he would found to be at some fault.

WHAT PISSES me off is the
Driver who killed Nicky Hayden gets 1 yr - English - ANSA.it

I'm sorry, this is a liberal chicken shit out.
Don't care what country, what language it's BS.
If your given a sentence, you do the time.

Did he pay the funeral expenses. OH, court cost's. Pay off the city and judge and get out of jail.
How many in your city are charged with an accident while driving with no license.

I lost a friend at the age of 12 from a drunk driver. Speeding and drove off the road to hit him.
6 years sentenced, 2 served. Wasn't impressed then or now.

I've leave this alone, what I or anyone else won't change this issue.
Pray it won't affect any of you to make your views change. Senseless loss.
Being sorry for your friend, you should probably know better what happens outside of USA, and what are the laws in other countries.
While normally I'm not that proud of my own country, I can affirm that not many countries around the world can offer a law on road killing.
Italy does.

Although this is an advanced law, intended as general thought on responsibility, on the other hand it applies in a totally different contest from what you have in USA.
You are much more concentrated to live in some areas, with bigger towns, a lot more space, bigger roads, lots of lanes on highways.
We have a much smaller context, roads, houses, anything is smaller here.
That law is intended to manage an escalation of bad road habits we saw in the last ten or so years.
And this is not that case.
I also tell you that three years ago we were still without this law, so that the driver would not have been condamned.

Ok, the car driver was over the limit.
73 kmh, 45 mph.

Again, if you, today after lunch time, go to work the same road you do day to day (the guy was working a couple of km from home, so daily he got back to his house for launch) and get hitted by a bicicle coming of your right, would you count to be guilty?
Now imagine Nicky on a Ford F-150....


Sadly, this is it.
In a moment of lack of attention a great pilot and person comes out of the corner of his life, while a simple worker gets back to his work.
They crush each other.
 
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