Interview with Ducati's Nicky Hayden

American Nicky Hayden, #69 with Ducati TeamThere are three Americans currently competing in the MotoGP World Championship and one of them is Kentucky native Nicky Hayden, aka the "Kentucky Kid." Hayden started riding at age 3, racing at age 5, and, at age 18, won the AMA Supersport crown. In 2002 he became the youngest ever AMA Superbike Champion and was rewarded with a promotion to MotoGP with the Repsol Honda factory team.

In 2005, just three years into his MotoGP career with the Repsol Honda team, Nicky won his first race on American soil at Laguna Seca in California. The following year, Hayden fulfilled a lifelong dream and earned the 2006 MotoGP World Championship after a season-long battle with Valentino Rossi. At 31 years of age, Hayden has now started in 168 MotoGP races, won three, and been crowned World Champion; a well earned career for this young American motorsports star.

Racing for the Ducati Team in Friday's practice sessions at Circuit of The Americas, Hayden's top speed was 207.16 mph with a peak lap time of 2:07.699. We caught up with Nicky Friday afternoon to get his insight into the new American circuit. 

AGP: What parts of the track do you find most interesting?

NH: Well obviously Turn 1, as you can tell, it’s pretty interesting. But I would say I kinda like the stadium section. Even though it is really slow, and I’m sure some people probably don’t like it because it’s, ya know, it’s first gear, but ah, it’s quite fun and quite technical. But the best is, the, uh, I don’t know the number off the top of my head, but the downhill left-hander. The blind one there is pretty good.

(Hayden is most likely referring to Turn 10.)

AGP: What do you think about from a fan’s perspective, where do you think they’ll see a lot of action?

NH: Well I’m not, uh…I’m not an expert on that, I haven’t been out watching, so, I can’t really say, but I think they’re gonna get their money’s worth, obviously. That stadium section has gotta be good cause you can see a lot. I can see a lot of people there because you can sit in one spot, watch part of the track on the big screen and then see four or five corners. But the best is probably up in that Tower. But I’m not sure how easy it’s gonna be to get up there for the general fan but if you can get up there I’d say take your lawn chair and go post up there!

AGP: What do you think about Austin as a city so far, as a destination?

NH: I mean, I like it…for me it’s awesome to come cause it’s so close to home, so easy and pretty convenient. So far downtown is uh, well, you know, I haven’t really seen a lot of it because I’ve been at the track mostly. But for me, it’s like more or less being at home compared to a lot of places I go so I like it.

Stay tuned to see what the Kentucky Kid has in store for us this weekend. You can follow along via Hayden's Facebook page, Twitter account and Instagram feed or go to his autograph session at the Grand Plaza inside Turn 19 on Saturday at 4:30PM.

MotoGP in Austin - Thursday Recap

From L-R: Steve Sexton, Ben Spies, Marc Márquez, Jorge Lorenzo, Cal Crutchlow and Lin Jarvis

Tthe MotoGP weekend at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas kicked off on Thursday with a somewhat eventful day including a fire in the paddock, a pre-event press conference and a track ride with a few riders and a handful of lucky media in sporty BMW X-5s.

// Garage Fire

Early Friday morning a small fire broke out inside the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 garage, which houses riders Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith's bikes, gear and tons of team equipment. The fire was ignited by one of the electric starters used to start the Team’s Yamaha YZR-M1 but quickly extinguished by COTA's sprinkler system. The fire itself was small and contained, but the water from the sprinklers affected neighboring teams. Yamaha Motor Racing’s Managing Director Lin Jarvis commented in the press conference:

When we arrived here today we heard there had been a fire incident, and that the Yamaha garages, Abraham’s team, and LCR were under water. But if we hadn’t been here at this excellent facility [with fire protection], we could have lost six bikes! There was no damage to any people or the bikes, but computers, servers and spare parts have been flooded. We can race this weekend, but have to take everything to pieces and dry each part, to ensure we have no corrosion issues in the future. But it’s always tougher with electronic parts, as issues are not visible.

Kudos to COTA and the local Austin Fire Departments for responding quickly and ensuring this fire didn't do more damage then it did.

// Press Conference

In attendance at the Pre-Event Press Conference on Thursday were (pictured above) COTA President Steve Sexton, Ignite Pramac Racing's Ben Spies, Repsol Honda Team's Marc Márquez, Yamaha Factory Racing's Jorge Lorenzo, Monster Yamaha Tech 3's Cal Crutchlow and Yamaha Motor Racing's Managing Director, Lin Jarvis.

Overall the riders shared the general sentiment that they are looking forward to racing on the new circuit. Two of the five riders that tested on it last month, Márquez and Lorenzo, had split feelings that they had an advantage but that their peers would quickly adapt. Lorenzo thought that three or four testings would be enough for other riders to understand the track but that a crucial aspect of it, Turn 1, is difficult because of its elevation change. He said it is "one of the biggest corners I've ever seen." Márquez said Friday will be for learning; the first day "most of the riders will struggle a little bit, but by 30 or 40 laps they will know the track."

Crutchlow and Spies had a chance to ride the circuit on street bikes before Thursday. Crutchlow said that it's difficult against the five guys that tested at COTA last month (Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Márquez, Dani Pedrosa and Stefan Bradl) but that they'll have to be patient. He added, "there are a lot of blind corners and it will take some time to learn." Spies was asked if he feels like an unofficial Ambassador for Circuit of The Americas, since he resides less than four hours north of the circuit in Dallas, and shared his excitement for having a world class facility in Texas to call home. Spies commented:

I never would have thought that this facility would be in Texas. I'm happy to be one of two Texans here, I'm happy to help [serve as ambassador] if need be. But these world class events are great for Texas.

Ben also noted that it would not be the same to be racing in Texas without MotoGP World Champion and local Texan, Kevin Schwantz, in attendance. Due to ongoing litigation with COTA and Dorna, Kevin has confirmed he will not be in attendance at the MotoGP race this weekend.

// Track Ride

American riders Nicky Hayden and Colin Edwards took to the track late Thursday afternoon to show the main tricks of the new circuit to Spanish rider Luis Salom and German riders Sandro Cortese and Jonas Folger. The small group rode scooters and were followed by media to capture the action on film. The riders stopped atop Turn 1, at the end of the esses at Turn 6, and at the COTA Tower to analyze the circuit from 251 feet above. Be sure to check out the Official MotoGP YouTube page, where the action will be shared in their post-race webisode, After The Flag.

We'll have photos from the guys hanging out on track and up in the Tower, but until then, enjoy this awesome GoPro video of Honda Repsol riders Dani Pedrosa and Marc Márquez riding COTA back in March. 

GoPro: Repsol Honda Testing with Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez from GoPro on Vimeo.

Texas High Schools Advance in F1 in Schools Competition

L-R: Axium Racing of Granbury High School, Team NOVA of PSJA Southeast High School and Talon Racing of Granbury High SchoolF1 in Schools, the leading global educational initiative in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics ("STEM"), held its Texas Regional competition at Circuit of The Americas on March 23. The worldwide program aims to create a fun and exciting learning environment for students aged 9 to 19 to develop hands-on experience with STEM-focused careers partnered with business skills such as marketing and sponsorship and prepare them to compete against other teams, mirroring the Formula 1 industry.

Teams of 3-6 students design and manufacture a model F1 car using 3D computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing programs and then test the aerodynamics of their design in a Virtual Reality Wind Tunnel using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. After analyzing the design for efficiency and performance, a block of balsa wood is put into a computer numerical controlled router, or CNC. These CNC machines cut the 2-D models into 3-D models for racing. The cars are powered by compressed air in the form of CO2 cartridges in order to race down down the 65' (20m) track in less than 2 seconds. In addition to finding the optimal aerodynamic features, the cars must adhere to specific weight and measurement standards, similar to the rules and regulations that make Formula 1 the sport that it is today.

Saturday's competition was hosted by SAE International and welcomed eight teams from across the state: XLR8 Racing and Axium Racing (Granbury High School); Talon Racing (Akins High School); Los Compadres and The Eclipse (Reagan High School); RED SHIFT (Pflugerville High School), J-Conn (John B. Connally High School); and Team Nova (PSJA Southweat High School). This 2013 Texas Regional Formula One Technology Challenge resulted in three winners qualifying to advance to the US National Championship at the Michigan International Speedway in May: Team Nova (First Place), Axium Racing (Second Place) and Talon Racing (Third Place).

We sat in on a few verbal presentations from the teams and were impressed by the collegiality between students of various ages and backgrounds. Successful team members knew it wasn't just about racing their car down the track; they explained how they stepped outside their assigned roles to help each other in building their team. This proved to be a vital element as teams aren't judged solely on the speed of the car, they're judged on their Portfolio (project management, team work, portfolio clarity and quality), Marketing (team identity, marketing and pit display) and the F1 car design process (ideas, development, testing and evaluation).

However, we'd be remiss if we didn't recognize the thrill of launching the car after the lights go out on track. That's right, just like in F1, five red lights light up one by one above the starting line of the track and when the lights go out, the "Driver's" reaction time is tested to 1/1000th of a second to hit the button and launch the car. The cars have small hooks on their undercarriage with a tether line run underneath it, and this tether line runs down the length of the track. This prevents cars from going airborne off the track. Cars are raced four times and another formula calculates points from the reaction race time and the total race time. Even with all the regulation, it is great fun!

The F1 in Schools program operates in over 40 countries and each National Champion is invited to compete at the World Finals, which will be held in Austin prior to the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix this November. This mirrors the global appeal of Formula 1, and also like F1, the F1 in Schools program is governed by technical documents (US Competition Regulations - 46 pages; US Technical Rules & Regulations - 36 pages), teams are lead by a Team Manager, and sponsorship dollars can make a difference when it comes to marketing the team and the car. After a "day at the track," one can see how this program is a leading example of leveraging STEM subject matter to real world racing and we're looking forward to the World Finals in Austin later this year.

// Check out the F1 in Schools Gallery for more photos!

MotoGP Pre-Season Testing: Yamaha Factory Racing

On Wednesday, Yamaha Factory Racing completed their second day of pre-season testing at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. The team consists of 2012 MotoGP World Champion Rider Jorge Lorenzo and six-time World Champion Rider Valentino Rossi (aka "The Doctor).

The testing days proved to be quite helpful as the riders got used to the "long and technical" track on their Yamaha YZR-M1s. In a recap, Yamaha said their riders were able to shave "several seconds off their first times but were still looking for more grip at full lean." This is evident as Lorenzo's best time on Tuesday was 2:05.291 and 2:04.664 on Wednesday; Rossi's best was 2:06.507 on Tuesday and 2:05.518 the second day of testing.

Jorge Lorenzo, No. 99, Yamaha Factory Racing Team

Lorenzo shared: “I feel better today, especially in the last run before the lunch break, we changed the set up of the bike and we improved some tenths so we are closer to the fastest riders, but not as much as we would like. We were too soft in the suspension to start with, we made it harder and in this track it works.

These two days that we are here I think is enough to get a good idea of set up and riding style. The fans will like MotoGP here, it is going to be a great show.

We have been trying different set ups of the bike, no new parts, just playing with the set up, changing the suspension and forks and in the last run I improved half a second with set up changes.

We still don't have enough grip on the rear so we can’t lean over with confidence which is why we are further behind than in Sepang.

I am adapting my riding style every lap a little for the track. In the main straight we are at 340kmh/h which is an amazing speed; when you have to brake and put your helmet up the wind is very strong so it’s difficult to be stable.”

Valentino Rossi, No. 46, of Yamaha Factory Racing Team

Valentino was also positive: “The feeling with the track improved today, we started to work on the bike to improve the difficult points, especially in the three very hard braking areas where it is important to have good stability. It’s also very important to have grip on the edge through the hairpin to have speed along the straight. 

It looks like you can make a big difference in the slow parts here. The chicane part in turn two is very technical and difficult as it is blind; you have to go a bit with memory. 

Step by step we improved a lot from yesterday but have some disadvantage compared to the other guys so we need to put all the sections together.

The target was to come here and try to understand the track and try to be ready for the race. 

Our competitors are able to accelerate faster than us from the hairpin and they have a bit more grip on the edge compared to us so these are the areas where we have to work, in the flowing parts we are not so bad. 

The track is good, a very classical ‘Tilke’ track, I like the fast parts, turn two and turn ten especially. There is lots of hard braking and it is very wide so good for overtaking. The long right before the last two lefts is also good. It's fun and not too hot like it is in Sepang so it's a good place to make a motorcycle race.”

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MotoGP Pre-Season Tests at COTA: Repsol Honda Team

Circuit of The Americas is hosting Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez today for MotoGP pre-season testing in Austin. Also in attendance are Yamaha Factory Racing Team’s Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, Stefan Bradl for LCR Honda MotoGP and Blake Young for Attack Performance CRT. 

This three day test gives riders a chance to test out the 3.4 mile circuit in advance of the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas, set for April 19-21, 2013 at Circuit of The Americas. (Click here for tickets.)

After the first session, in which Marquez posted the fastest lap time at 2:08.651 and completed 12 laps, he said most importantly the track is quite flat; he didn't feel many bumps which is quite important for the bike. In the second session, Marquez completed 22 laps with the best time of 2:07.046.

 Marc Marquez, No. 93 with Repsol Honda Team

Dani Pedrosa also completed 12 laps in the first session with a best lap time of 2:11.445. He noted that sixth gear going into a straight is more like second or third gear. Similar to the first day of practice during F1 in November, the track wasn't "quite grippy" in the morning, and he noted it was "a little bit twisty at some points." Pedrosa completed 22 laps in the second session with a best lap time of 2:07.284, just 0.238 behind teammate Marquez.

Dani Pedrosa, No. 26 with Repsol Honda TeamNext we'll take a closer look at Yamaha Factory Racing Team and see how Lorenzo and Rossi are taking to the track. Follow along with us as we continue to post photos, videos and more throughout the day.

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Hotel Initiative Raises over $50,000 for Central Texas Youth

Mark Kiester (Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area), Neil Goldman (Hotels for Hope), Bruce Knox (Circuit of The Americas) and Cathy Jones (Austin Partners in Education)This week, Circuit of The Americas and Hotel for Hope, an Austin, Texas-based social enterprise that "turns room nights into social change," announced that their partnership from the 2012 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix raised a total of $50,800. Through the Hotels for Hope program, participating hotels agree to donate $1 per booked room night and Hotels for Hope matches the donation. The Hotels for Hope program facilitates an opportunity for large events and their participating hotels to give back to the Central Texas community by raising funds and awareness for nonprofit organization that positively impact the lives of children

The two non-profits for the inaugural race year were Austin Partners in Education and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area. The funds were split evenly so that each organization received $25,400. This is the largest amount Hotels for Hope has raised to date. Some of the organization's other charity partners have included Special Olympics of Texas, Livestrong, A Glimmer of Hope and Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.

Cathy Jones, Executive Director of Austin Partners in Education, said this generous donation will allow the organization to continue their programs that focus on reading, math and college readiness programs that raise student academic performance. In the last year, more than 2,300 students in 17 schools received a minimum of 45 minutes per week of academic and personal support in elementary and middle school reading and math from more than 1,000 dedicated APIE volunteers. Another 250 high school seniors received individualized tutoring and test preparation support to ensure they graduate from high school college-ready. This donation will also make it possible for APIE to expand their reach in the future.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area's CEO, Mark Keister, was excited to recognize Circuit of The Americas as an active community partner. With the funds from this initiative, the Boys & Girls Club has been able to start an after-school program in the Del Valle school district, the area where Circuit of The Americas is located. Boys & Girls Clubs in the Austin area serve 12,000 kids per year and 1,700 per day throughout their 17 clubs in the most economically distressed area of Austin. Through the programs, kids are exposed to life-enhancing programs that enrich them both academically and socially. Club members have better school attendance, make better grades, graduate at a higher rate and are more likely to attend college in comparison to their peers.

COTA Executive Vice President Bruce Knox shared his sentiments:

Giving back to children and young adults in the Central Texas community is very important to the entire team at Circuit of The Americas. We extend our sincere thanks to our hotel partners that participated in this program, which generated business for them and charitable donations for two very worthy causes. Hundreds of thousands of guests, including motorsports enthusiasts from around the world, visited Central Texas for the Formula 1 event. This collaborative effort with Hotels for Hope allowed us to capitalize on the tremendous boost to regional tourism that the FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX brings to our area by also creating a way for hotels to support local nonprofits.  It’s a winning combination.

Hotels for Hope founder and owner Neil Goldman added:

Hotels for Hope is proud of what was accomplished with Circuit of The Americas to provide this important community service in conjunction with the 2012 FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX. Since its inception, Hotels for Hope has already made a significant contribution to our partner beneficiaries, all of which make a direct impact on the lives of children.

This partnership will continue throughout the year and designated nonprofit recipients for the 2013 motorsport season will be announced in the coming weeks.