In Las Vegas last weekend, at the AMA awards banquet, young Nicky Hayden was named the 1999 AMA Speedvision Pro Athlete of the Year — the highest honor bestowed by the AMA annually.
At 18 years of age, Hayden had an outstanding 1999 season. Winning his first AMA title in the 600 Supersport Roadrace Championship, Hayden also finished second in the Formula Extreme Championship to his Erion Honda teammate Kurtis Roberts. Finally, Hayden won the AMA Grand National Dirt Track Rookie of the Year award (finishing 9th in that series while competing in only 12 of the 18 rounds), and even made the podium at an AMA Superbike National (the last race of the season).
Nicky Hayden steps up to a full-time Superbike ride next year with American Honda in the AMA series where he will also compete once again in the 600 Supersport series aboard a Honda. Hayden and teammate Miguel Duhamel will pilot Honda’s RC51 V-twin Superbike during its inaugural AMA Superbike season in 2000.
