We mourn Nicky Hayden, not just for being a great champion and human being, but for what we’d hoped he might still accomplish. (Larry Lawrence photo)
One of the most devastating days ever.
Nicky Hayden is dead.
It hurts so much, not only because of what Nicky accomplished as a racer, but for the future we had envisioned for our beloved world champion.
In our ideal world, Honda was going to get Nicky a motorcycle capable of winning in World Superbike and he was going to win races and the world championship.
Then Nicky was going to retire from world competition and come to MotoAmerica as a rider/team owner with a factory Honda squad. Nicky, along with Wayne Rainey, were finally going to bring road racing back in America.
And then on his off weekends from road racing, Nicky was going to unveil a secret flat track machine Honda had quietly developed and he was going to finally win a Mile, preferably Springfield, and join Dick Mann, Kenny Roberts, Bubba Shobert and Doug Chandler as the fifth AMA Grand Slam winner.
Then Nicky was going to retire from racing, run his racing team, get married, have kids and create the next generation of racing Haydens.
Then he was going to grow old, make appearances at special events, be inducted into Halls of Fame, and be a beloved figure in the sport of motorcycle racing for the rest of his livelong days.
Nicky was so incredibly talented, we felt all the hopes we had for him were within his grasp.
Life had other ideas.
That’s why Nicky’s loss hurts so much. It wasn’t just the final curtain for one of our all-time great American motorcycle racing heroes, it was the loss of what might have been.
What should have been in an ideal world. – Larry Lawrence
Rider Files 
Larry, thanks for your thoughts. Nicky was family to us at Honda and it hurts real bad today. We hope he is doing all of those things you mention somewhere off in the distance that we can’t see, and will find out more sometime in the future. Thanks again, RIP Nicky.
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My favorite rider of all time… Thanks MIke & Larry. *69
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That’s exactly how I feel. He’s not supposed to be gone because he was going to do all of those things and become one of the great American motorcycle icons. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
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I didn’t know Nicky very well but I did have the privilege through my connection to Tommy and his wife, my cousin Christie to be able to hang out with Nicky at a Moto GP event in Monte Ray, California in 2012. I drove 4 hours to meet him and hang out in the pits for the day and I will never forget the experience.
Chris Boling
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Very well said Larry 👍 I never got to meet Nicky… but I was given a poster of him last year from Carry Andrews … he had Nicky sing it for me … I have it up in my house and look at it every day which reminds me how lucky that I am still alive… I should of been dead several times during me racing career…. Thank you Nicky I will cherish this poster for the rest of my life…. HK31
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Thanks, Larry,
Nicky was one in 10 billion.
A magnificent human.
The hardest part to accept is the fact that is is gone and there are so many other worthless scum that are allowed to walk this earth.
Thanks for knowing me, Nicky.
A world champion in every conceivable way.
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Thanks Larry, Yes, one of the saddest days of my life.
Thank You Nicky, racing against you back in your early days was as you’d put it “SWEET!” You were an inspiration, a boon to my self confidence, and although beating you on a track seemed like an insurmountable task it was still totally satisfying. You like your dad, your Mom, brothers and the whole Hayden clan are outstanding people.
Godspeed Nick.
I’ll never forget what you did for me and the world of motorcycle racing!
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