This just in:

HONDA RACING INFORMATION

Nicky Hayden will contest the 2003 MotoGP class in WGP

Mr. Suguru Kanazawa, President of HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) confirmed today in Rome that Nicky Hayden, the 21-year-old AMA Superbike Champion in 2002 “will contest the 2003 MotoGP World Championship on a RC211V Honda,” as announced yesterday evening during the American Honda dealers convention in Chicago (USA).

“We are happy Nicky is joining road racing Grand Prix next year,” added Mr. Kanazawa, “even if we don’t know yet which team he will cooperate with, as we announced our 2003 strategy some weeks ago in Brno.

“As Honda is a global player, we are proud to say that we are going to race in the World Championship leading class, as MotoGP is, with European, US and Japanese riders – the three leading motorcycle markets in the world.”