About Diana Tamantini / Bikeandrace.com
In the hometown of the 'Kentucky Kid', a sculpture was unveiled to remember him, as well as to proclaim June 9 “Nicky Hayden Day”.
In a special ceremony, the City of Owensboro unveiled a statue celebrating the life and accomplishments of the late Nicky Hayden, champion road racer, who was born and raised in the city.
Held on the lawn in front of the Owensboro Convention Center, the ceremony was part of a regular summer event called Friday After 5. Attended by locals and Nicky Hayden fans from as far away as the United Kingdom , the ceremony included a speech by Mayor Tom Watson, who proclaimed the date June 9 “Nicky Hayden Day,” referring to Nicky's racing number, 69.
Commissioned by the city and the Hayden family (Nicky's parents, siblings, fiancée and family members), the bronze sculpture was created by Loveland, George Lundeen of Colorado, who was in attendance with the Haydens . “We are proud to have unveiled today the statue which pays tribute to Nicky”, said Mayor Watson. “He was not only a world-class motorcycle champion, he was a world-class person, and we are proud that he made Owensboro his home. We know his legacy will be eternal.”
“This event and this sculpture mean a lot to our family”, said Tommy, Nicky's older brother. “In the year since his death, we have been blown away by the outpouring of support from locals and people around the world. A number of Nicky fans have told me that they would like to have a destination where they can pay homage to their hero, and this statue will serve that purpose. Additionally, I hope it serves as a tangible reminder to the citizens of Owensboro that it is possible to accomplish great things while staying true to your community, just like Nicky did.”
Before his death on May 22, 2017, following injuries sustained in a bicycle accident, Nicky Hayden had received numerous national and international honors, including the AMA Dirt Track Horizon Award in 1997 and the AMA Ricky Graham Rookie Award of the Year in 1999, 1999 AMA Pro Athlete of the Year Award, 600 AMA 1999cc Supersport Championship, 200 Daytona 2002 Victory, 2002 AMA Superbike Championship, 2003 MotoGP Rookie of the Year Award, Cycle News Rider Award of the Year 2006 and the 2006 MotoGP World Championship.
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We are adding here the video of the inauguration of this bronze statue extrapolated from a famous photo of Nicky Hayden.
