Paul Carruthers | September 3, 2009
Nicky Hayden will get another crack at solving the puzzle that is the Ducati Desmosedeci, the Kentuckian having signed a one-year extension with the Marlboro Ducati team for 2010.”The confirmation of Nicky is the right reward to a rider who has shown to perfectly embody the frame of mind that characterizes Ducati – passion, determination and commitment,” said Claudio Domenicali, Ducati Motor Holding General Manager, in a press release issued today. “We have always considered Nicky to be an important asset to the Ducati 2010 strategy and we are very happy that he will remain in the Ducati Marlboro Team. His progression through the season has been constant up to the podium in Indianapolis and we are certain that the experience he has gained will be decisive for a 2010 season full of success.”Hayden just had his best outing on the Ducati, finishing third in the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix last weekend. Otherwise, it has been a pretty dismal season as the former AMA Superbike and 2006 MotoGP World Champion goes through an adjustment period in getting up to speed on the somewhat fickle Ducati.”This has been a very good week and this news just adds to that,” Hayden said in the team release. “After the good result in Indy, now to renew the deal with Ducati is exactly what I wanted. I’m very happy. I always had faith and believed that we could achieve good results. I’m excited for these last five races of the ‘09 season, and if you look at the progression we have made from the start of the season to the middle, hopefully we will continue this through to the end. I just wish to say a big thanks to all the guys who made this happen – especially everybody in Ducati as well as all our sponsors and I’m sure I’ll be able to do a good job next year and to continue to build with, and be part of, the Ducati family.”Hayden is currently 12th in the World Championship, but is only six points away from cracking into the top 10. He is also Ducati’s lead rider at the moment with the on-going absence of Casey Stoner. The Australian is not expected to return until the Portuguese round of the series on October 4.
Paul Carruthers | Editor
Paul Carruthers took over as the editor of Cycle News in 1993 after serving as associate editor since starting his career at the publication in 1985. Carruthers has covered every facet of the sport in his near-28-year tenure at America's Daily Motorcycle News Source.
