After two troubled seasons racing in the AMA Championships, 2007 AMA Supersport Champion Roger Hayden said in a phone interview with Roadracing World that he is looking forward to racing with Pedercini Kawasaki in the 2010 FIM Superbike World Championship. “I’m definitely really excited,” said Hayden, who missed most of the 2008 season due to injuries, started the 2009 season late and then struggled to adapt to the new AMA Pro Daytona SportBike rules and control tires. “World Superbike is something I’ve always followed since I was a kid, and it’s always looked like a lot of fun. It seems like everyone gets along well. It always seemed like a good atmosphere when they came to Laguna Seca. “It’s gonna be a big change, especially to last year and racing with the DMG [AMA Pro Racing] cluster. It’s going to be nice to be with a real racing organization. It’s just a good opportunity for me, and I’m excited.” Realizing it was going to be tough for anyone to find a good, paid ride for 2010, Hayden and his management team, International Racers, started working early last year, casting their net wide around the globe looking for interest and opportunities. “I’ll be honest with you,” said 26-year-old Hayden, “with the way things were going I was looking everywhere. Plus, I wanted to get away from the American scene. It seems like it’s in bad shape right now. “I talked to a few different Moto2 [World Championship] teams here and there. I actually had a verbal commitment with one around Thanksgiving. I thought that was what I was gonna do, but nothing ever came in writing. And I had this offer from Pedercini with a deadline [of December 29]. I didn’t want to risk not having a ride, so I took it and I’m happy I did.” Led by former Italian National Champion and World Superbike privateer racer Lucio Pedercini, Team Pedercini has never been a consistent challenger to the factory teams in the World Championship. Last season, the private team’s lead rider, former Italian Superbike Champion Luca Scassa, only scored points in six races and finished 29th in the Championship. But that doesn’t bother Hayden. “The team, it’s a small team, but they’re growing,” he said. “They definitely want to do good and provide me with the best. They’ve already got three tests lined up before the first race. I couldn’t be happier with the commitment they’ve already showed me. But the main thing is they wanted me. It wasn’t like they got stuck with me. They were really pushing and really wanted me to ride for them. That means lot.” Hayden said that he thinks Kawasaki’s new focus on its official Superbike World Championship team will trickle down to Team Pedercini in terms of more support. “I believe so,” said Hayden. “It seems like they are putting all of their support into World Superbike, and I have a good relationship with all the guys at KHI [Kawasaki Heavy Industries] from going over there and testing with them pretty much every year before the season started. Also, I’ve always stayed in touch with all the Kawasaki MotoGP guys ever since I did the wild card race for them, and a lot of them are with the factory Superbike team now. I’ve already got a few e-mails from them, and they seem like they want to help out.” Hayden will make his debut with Team Pedercini during an official World Superbike test at the end of January at Portimao, Portugal. His rookie Superbike World Championship season will start March 1 at Phillip Island, Australia.