Superbike Misano, Race 1: It was a race to the limit for Nicky Hayden

Superbike, Pirelli Rivera di Rimini Round, Race 1. The eighth round of the championship, at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, started well for Nicky Hayden who, after the best time in Friday's free practice, today started from the second row thanks to the sixth time in Tissot-Superpole.

Although he had declared that he was not entirely satisfied with his race pace, the race had gone well for him: a very clean start immediately took him to fourth position, which then became third due to Davide Giugliano's fall right in front of him.
Unfortunately for him this virtual podium lasted only a few corners: trying to quickly recover the gap with the leaders, in the final part of the lap he was driving at the limit and slipped and ended up in the gravel.

“I'm not happy at all. Qualifying went well, I was less than a tenth from the front row, but I made a good start and recovered positions. I managed to reduce the gap and when Giugliano fell in front of me I had to wait to open the throttle again” – he said Nicky Hayden – “In the last corner there are a couple of bumps and at that point I was going 1,5 km/h faster than the previous lap. It wasn't much different from previous laps, but when you drive at the limit, it doesn't take much. It's a shame, but this year we try and learn!”

Hayden will try to make up for it tomorrow in Race 2, start at 13pm.