Ride in Peace, Nicky Hayden

It is with a heavy heart that we report the passing of Nicky Hayden today, the American motorcycle racer finally succumbing to the injuries he sustained on Wednesday, at 7:09 PM CEST.

The former-MotoGP Champion was struck by a car, while he was training on his bicycle near the Rimini coast. After the incident, Hayden was ultimately treated at the trauma center at the Bufalini Hospital in Cesena, where he later passed away.

While motorcycle fans around the world have been hoping for good news throughout this past weekend, and looking for signs that Nicky’s condition would improve, today Nicky’s race ended, with his family and friends at his side.

A fierce competitor on the race track, Nicky Hayden was the 2002 AMA Pro Superbike Champion, the 2006 MotoGP World Champion, and was 5th in the 2016 World Superbike Championship. In 2015, he was named a MotoGP Legend – just one of his many accolades.

Off the track though, “The Kentucky Kid” was one of the most beloved racers, in whichever paddock he inhabited. Known for his hard work and positive attitude, Nicky was universally liked by his fellow riders, and his fans hail from around the world.

Nicky is survived by his fiancé Jackie Marin; his brothers and sisters Tommy, Roger Lee, Jenny, and Kathleen; and his parents Earl and Rose.

He will be remembered fondly by virtually everyone he worked with throughout his career, and Nicky will forever be in the hearts of his legions of fans. He was 35 years of age at the time of his passing.

Tommy Hayden issued the following statement after the passing of his brother:

“On behalf of the whole Hayden family and Nicky’s fiancée Jackie I would like to thank everyone for their messages of support – it has been a great comfort to us all knowing that Nicky has touched so many people’s lives in such a positive way.

“Although this is obviously a sad time, we would like everyone to remember Nicky at his happiest – riding a motorcycle. He dreamed as a kid of being a pro rider and not only achieved that but also managed to reach the pinnacle of his chosen sport in becoming World Champion. We are all so proud of that.

“Apart from these ‘public’ memories, we will also have many great and happy memories of Nicky at home in Kentucky, in the heart of the family. We will all miss him terribly.”

“It is also important for us to thank all the hospital staff for their incredible support – they have been very kind. With the further support of the authorities in the coming days we hope to have Nicky home soon.”