COTA Turn 18 Renamed “Hayden Hill” in Honor of Nicky Hayden–The late Nicky Hayden has been immortalized by Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, with the renaming of Turn 18 as “Hayden Hill”.
COTA Turn 18 Renamed “Hayden Hill” in Honor of Nicky Hayden
Turn 18 is a fast triple apex right-hander in at the back of the pit complex, known for some tire frying slides as the riders plunge down to the penultimate left-hand corner at Circuit of the Americas. It is also famed for being the location of the gigantic tower that offers a bird’s eye view of the entire facility.
Nicky Hayden, affectionately known as the Kentucky Kid, was the 2006 MotoGP World Champion in a dramatic season that has gone down in racing folklore. He moved to the WorldSBK Championship with Ten Kate Honda for the 2016 season but tragically lost his life in a cycling accident in Italy in May 2017.
Before Hayden left the MotoGP paddock in 2015, he was named a MotoGP Legend in a top-flight racing career that saw three victories, including two at Laguna Seca in 2005 and 2006.
