Repsol Honda rider Nicky Hayden ended a tough weekend at Laguna Seca this afternoon with a determined ride to fifth place. The American was the Repsol Honda team’s sole representative in the US GP after team-mate Dani Pedrosa yesterday withdrew due to the severity of the injuries he suffered in Germany last Sunday.

Hayden made a great start from the front row of the grid, holding third place for the first seven laps. He then spent the middle stage of the race battling for fourth place with Andrea Dovizioso, eventually finishing just behind the Italian. Hayden won this race in 2005 and 2006 but today he recorded his fastest-ever Laguna race time, 25 seconds quicker than his winning 2006 pace. He was a non-finisher last year.

Pedrosa flew home to Barcelona yesterday and will spend the sport’s traditional summer break recuperating from his injuries in order to be in the best-possible shape for the next race at Brno in the Czech Republic on August 17.

Nicky Hayden, finished fifth, eighth in World Championship

1. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 25 points
2. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 20 points
3. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 16 points
4. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP (M) 13 points
5. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 11 points
6. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 10 points
7. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 9 points
8. Ben Spies USA Rizla Suzuki (B) 8 points

Repsol Honda rider Nicky Hayden will start tomorrow’s US GP from the front row of the grid following a stirring charge in the final stages of this afternoon’s qualifying session.

In warm, sunny conditions that followed another misty start to the day, Hayden rode his fastest-ever lap of Laguna Seca, almost 1.2 seconds faster than his 2007 qualifying pace. The American, winner here in 2005 and 2006, will tomorrow aim for his first podium of the 2008 season to back up his first front-row start since June’s Catalan GP.

Hayden’s Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa this morning decided to withdraw from this weekend’s event due to the injuries he sustained in last Sunday’s Germany GP.

1. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1′20.700
2. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1′21.147
3. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1′21.430
4. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1′21.636
5. James Toseland GBR Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1′21.848
6. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 1′21.921
7. Colin Edwards USA Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1′21.947
8. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1′21.971

Repsol Honda riders Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa completed today’s first two US GP practice sessions second and 15th fastest aboard their RC212Vs. Double Laguna GP winner Hayden stormed into second place on his final lap of the day, while Pedrosa battled bravely with the injuries he sustained when he crashed while leading last Sunday’s German GP.

Hayden, wearing a special Olympics-themed helmet and leathers design for his home race, is working hard to close the gap on current pace-setter Casey Stoner. The American made set-up changes this afternoon to give him more grip round this rollercoaster of a Californian racetrack.
Laguna is a hugely physically challenging anti-clockwise racetrack that places exceptional strain on the left hand, wrist and arm. Pedrosa rode 21 laps this morning and 28 laps this afternoon.

This morning’s session started ten minutes late due to fog. Conditions this afternoon were warm and sunny, though the session was briefly red-flagged with 20 minutes to go after Anthony West crashed. His machine took out a section of safety air fence which had to be replaced before practice could continue.

Nicky Hayden, 2nd fastest, 1m 22.634s

1. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1′21.826
2. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1′22.634
3. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1′22.769
4. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1′22.808
5. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1′22.847
6. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1′22.924
7. Colin Edwards USA Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1′23.077
8. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP (M) 1′23.097

The Repsol Honda Team endured its toughest day of the year so far at rain-lashed Sachsenring today. Dani Pedrosa led the early laps in superb style but crashed out, leaving Nicky Hayden the team’s only finisher in an unlucky 13th place after an early race pit stop.

Hayden was confident of a good race, wet or dry, but soon after the start the American realised he had traction issues. After a difficult first few laps he came in to change his rear tyre. After that pit stop Hayden’s pace improved but he still felt something was amiss with his machine. Nonetheless the former World Champion persevered, bringing his RC212V home in the atrocious conditions for three World Championship points

Nicky Hayden, finished 13th, 8th in World Championship