Hayden to ride around IMS oval on Indy 500 race day
Hayden, from Owensboro, Ky., and the rest of the elite MotoGP field will race in the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sunday, Sept. 14 on the new 2.620-mile road course at IMS.
Approximately one hour before the start of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing," Hayden will ride around the famous 2.5-mile IMS oval aboard the 2007 Repsol Honda RC212V/Michelin on which he competed in the 2008 season-opening Grand Prix of Qatar on March 9. The Indianapolis 500 is the world's largest single-day spectator sporting event.
"What an opportunity for the sport, my sponsors and most of all, for me!" Hayden said. "This is going to be cool, to do a lap in front of such a huge audience live and on TV on what is arguably the most famous track and race in the whole world. I hope the fans like what they see and hear, and hope they plan on coming back in September when the bikes roll out at IMS for the first time in a long time.
"I just need to get it straight with the officials that I don't mind rolling round in second gear waving to the fans, but when I come off Turn 4, the Pace Car needs to hold its line because as I head toward the bricks, I plan to open that baby up a little and blow out the cobwebs a little."
It will be Hayden's second trip to IMS in as many months. He officially christened the new IMS road course with a lap on a vintage Indian motorcycle that competed in the only other motorcycle race at IMS, in 1909, and also turned laps on a Honda CBR1000 production bike.