Roger Hayden is ready to ride, so says the 2007 AMA Supersport Champion after spending the last eight weeks recovering from fractures to his pelvis and lower back, a finger injury and another finger injury that required an amputation. Hayden suffered the injuries April 19 when he was hit by Robertino Pietri during AMA Superbike practice and crashed at high speed at Barber Motorsports Park. “Things are good. Things are really looking up. I got some X-rays done yesterday, and the doctors all say I’m ready to ride,” Hayden told Roadracingworld.com Wednesday. “The Laguna Seca test [on Monday June 23], I’m all cleared for that, but the team wants me to wait a little bit longer. It’s kind of disappointing to get yourself ready and not get to ride, but things are looking up.” Hayden spent six of the last eight weeks in a confining and uncomfortable back brace, and most of those six weeks in bed. But ever since his brace came off, the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider has been doing physical therapy, training and simply enjoying all of the little things in life he has been deprived of. “I’m back cycling. I’m planning on doing some dirt tracking this weekend. I spent the whole last weekend fishing. So things are really looking up. Compared to where I was at things are just so much better,” said Hayden. “Therapy is going well. I’m just working to get adjusted to life with a missing digit. They massage the scar, and my hand’s a little stiff. The thing I need most right now is track time to get my mind back, because if you think about it I really haven’t rode that much since Daytona. I got hurt at Daytona [Hayden broke his left hand in a crash there.], then I rode one day at Barber before I got taken out. So I just need to get back riding and get the mind back up to speed and things like that.” Although he will evidently miss next week’s test at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Hayden said he will definitely ride in the AMA Superbike event at Laguna Seca July 18-20.