Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 26th consecutive year of showcasing an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 11 AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
The Daytona 200 (11 times);
WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships;
ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
AMA Road Racing Grand Championships and Horizon Awards;
USGPRU National Championships;
Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more – and younger—racers with higher levels of accomplishment are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2022 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
Hayden Bicknese
Age: 15.
Current home: Defiance, Missouri.
Current height/weight: 5’7”/130 pounds.
Current school grade level: 10th grade.
Began riding at age: 5 years.
First road race: 2020, Houston, Texas, CMRA, 500 Superbike Novice, 1st place.
Current racebikes: Kawasaki Ninja 400, Yamaha YZF-R3.
Current tuner/mechanic: Randy Bicknese (Father).
Primary race series: MotoAmerica Junior Cup, CMRA.
Top sponsors: Spears Racing, Bison Track, Blud Lubricants, Velocity Calibrations, CJR Performance, Arai Helmet, Dunlop, North Texas Superbikes, Schaefer Engineering.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2021 season, placed 12th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (6 top-10 finishes, best race finish 7th – 3 times), 8 race wins and 18 podiums finishes with CMRA, 4 podium finishes with CVMA; 2020 season: won CMRA Overall Novice Championship, won 6 CMRA Novice Class Championships (won 29 races).
2022 racing goal: Finish in top five in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship with at least one podium finish.
Racing career goal: Race in a World Championship.
Racing hero: Nicky Hayden.
Favorite track: Circuit of The Americas.
Favorite hobby: Mountain biking.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Playing ice hockey.
