Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

American Honda and Dunlop completed the final day of a three-day tire test at Daytona International Speedway at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Thursday.

Nicky Hayden said he, Kurtis Roberts and Japanese test rider Gaku Kamada–Miguel Duhamel’s substitute–only rode Honda 600s on the final day of the test. When asked if he rode the rumored 2003 Honda CBR600F5 at the test, Hayden said, “If it was here, I didn’t see it, honestly.”

Hayden said the purpose of the test was to gain data before Dunlop’s much larger, annual tire test at the Speedway in early December, and that the riders rode 2002-spec racebikes.

Hayden said he was flying home tonight before heading to California next week to shoot PR photos and TV commercials for Honda’s upcoming 2003-model-year dealer show.