Archive - Aug 2, 2008

So, what do MotoGP riders do during the summer break? Well, while some spend time relaxing at holiday resorts, and others are hard at work recovering from their injuries, Nicky Hayden will be going racing. Racer X, the motocross magazine and sister publication to the excellent RoadRacer X magazine, has confirmed that Hayden will take part in Saturday's AMA Supermoto race to be held at the X Games this weekend.

The race will be run at 4 PM PST on Saturday, August 2nd, and will be shown on live television, on the ESPN network. Hayden has qualified in 15th position.

Hayden has considerable prowess as a Supermoto rider, and spends a good deal of time practicing the art when staying at his California home with his brothers. The combination of sliding and corner speed makes it an excellent discipline for honing racing skills, which is why a lot of road racers use it to keep their skills sharp.

As a taster for Saturday's race, here's a great video, in which Nicky Hayden and Max Biaggi get to show off their skills:

The news that MotoGP would be going to Indianapolis, bringing the return of motorcycle racing to this historic track, was met with interest and acclaim all around the world. The Brickyard at Indy is one of the world's legendary tracks, a name recognized by both race fans and non-race fans alike.

But not everyone is enthusiastic. And we're not talking about riders worrying about problems with grip or the final turn back onto the front straight. No, it seems that the town elders of Speedway, Indiana - the town which is home to the track - are afraid that the arrival of thousands of MotoGP fans on their noisy motorcycles could keep the upstanding citizens of their town awake at night.

Perhaps fearing scenes from The Wild One, the Town Council are attempting to pass a special ordinance banning "unnecessary noises made by certain motor vehicles". The ordinance is specifically aimed at motorcycles revving their engines noisily, and will give police the power to impose fines on anyone they believe are causing a nuisance by making a lot of noise with their bikes.