Ducati Team rider Nicky Hayden passionate to race at Iveco Australian Grand Prix – MotoGP news
Ducati Team rider Nicky Hayden is ready to race at Phillip Island for the MotoGP event, Iveco Australian Grand Prix on October 16, 2011.
The Kentucky Kid was at a tough side in the Japanese Grand Prix, after he went wide in mid race. Hayden was able to fight along Alvaro Bautista when three riders from the top squad were dropped to lower positions.
Coming to Phillip Island, he likes to race at the one of the best tracks on the MotoGP calendar. Hayden has collected three podium finishes previously while setting the best lap of the track in 2008.
Hayden said, “Phillip Island is definitely one of the highlights of the year, because everything about it is special. It’s fast, flowing and really fun to ride. The big question mark is always the weather. We can get rain, wind, cold and sun, all in the
course of one race weekend.”
Ducati riders have collected podium finishes at Phillip Island in previous seasons except the 2006 season when it merely missed the podium at fourth position.
Hayden has also been strong at Phillip Island but in the 2010 season, he was fourth and his former teammate Casey Stoner took the win for Ducati.
Hayden added, “Casey has won a lot of races there for Ducati, and I should have been on the podium there last year, except that I left the door open for Vale to beat me. It’s a good track for me, and although I know it won’t be easy, I really hope we can
do well.”
Currently, Hayden holds a seventh seat in the world championship with 123 points. Marco Simoncelli is closing in on Hayden in the points’ table but at the moment, Hayden is not worried about it, and his aim is to achieve good results. A top five finish will
enable him to sustain his position in the championship.
On the other side Hayden’s teammate Valentino Rossi is looking forward to test his injured finger at Phillip Island. Rossi sustained a minor fracture on his left hand’s little finger that he will inspect before the start of the weekend.
Tags: