From a press release issued by Honda: Nicky Hayden inaugurates Indianapolis MotoGP circuit American MotoGP star Nicky Hayden was the honoured guest of the Indianapolis Speedway today where he rode the inaugural lap of the 4.216km circuit that will be the venue for the first ever Indianapolis Grand Prix. The event, round 14 of the 18 round MotoGP World Championship, is scheduled for September 12th 14th. MotoGP is gaining popularity in the United States and the Indianapolis GP at the Brickyard will be the second grand prix to be raced in America in 2008 joining Laguna Seca, California that hosts round 11, on the 18-race calendar. Nicky rode the inaugural lap of the new circuit aboard a vintage Indian motorcycle that had contested the first motorcycle race held at Brickyard in 1909 almost a century ago! He took to the track in period costume wearing the riding gear available to motorcycle racers at the time, leather pants, pullover and leather skull cap. “When the bike first fired up I wondered what I’d got myself into!” said Hayden, one of those riders who has a lot of respect for racing history. “Then when I was doing about 40mph down the straight it felt like a hundred. I really enjoyed the ride though, especially my old school helmet, that was my favourite part.” “It is a real honour to be the first rider to lap the new Indy track and I can’t wait to get out there on a MotoGP bike in September. I expect most of my hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky, to be there. They may have to close the town down that day.” Hayden later rode a Honda CBR1000RR around the 4.216km circuit, designed specifically for MotoGP, at speeds closer to the 325km/h he is accustomed to travelling at. Hayden’s visit to the Speedway also allowed him to inspect track safety measures taken by the organization and report his findings to the MotoGP safety commission, which looks after rider safety at all MotoGP events, when they meet at this. weekend’s Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril close to Lisbon. During his visit to the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Hayden also took a look around the IMS Hall of Fame Museum. Images of the event can be found on the Hondaproimages.com server, in the MotoGP section.