It was 15 years ago when Nicky Hayden picked up the keys to a brand-new Chevy Silverado pickup truck after winning the ‘Like A Rock Challenge’ in the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship. Hayden was awarded the truck at the July 15-16, 2000 round at Mid-Ohio. Hayden’s third-place finish in Sunday’s Chevy Trucks Superbike final at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was good enough to earn him the ‘Chevy Trucks Like a Rock Challenge’ grand prize, a loaded Z-71 Silverado valued at $32,000. Hayden had a big smile on his face as he accepted the keys from Chevy’s John Farris during Sunday’s live Speedvision broadcast. Hayden was later asked if he was going to hand down his old pickup to younger brother and fellow road racer Roger Lee. “Heck no, I might hand down my old tennis shoes or socks to him, but my old truck is going to end up on my dad’s car lot.” Hayden added, “Anybody wants to buy a Ford, I’ve got one for sale. You can drive it home.” Chevy Trucks created the ‘Like A Rock Challenge’ to reward the series’ longest lasting, and most dependable rider, throughout the three doubleheader race weekends of the 2000 AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship. To be eligible for the Chevy Trucks Like A Rock Challenge, a rider competing in the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship had to win at least one of the six races comprising the three doubleheader rounds. Hayden’s final tally in the Challenge was 76 points to 68 for Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin, and 50 for Mladin’s teammate Aaron Yates.

Nicky Hayden picked up the keys to a brand-new Chevy Silverado pickup truck from Chevy’s John Farris, Jr., after winning the ‘Like A Rock Challenge’ in the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship in 2000. (Henny Ray Abrams photo)