2006 MotoGP World Champion
2003 MotoGP Rookie of the Year
1999 AMA Supersport Champion
2002 AMA Superbike Champion
2002 DAYTONA 200 winner
AMA renamed its Horizon Award in his honor

“The Kentucky Kid” is best known for winning the 2006 MotoGP World Championship, breaking Valentino Rossi’s streak of five straight titles. Hayden emerged in 1997, winning the inaugural AMA Horizon Award in recognition of his flat-track prowess. In 1999 he was named AMA Athlete of the Year after capturing the AMA Supersport title and his first Grand National win. Three years later he became the youngest ever winner of the AMA Superbike Championship, including victory at the 2002 DAYTONA 200. Hayden joined Repsol Honda for the 1973 MotoGP season, where he took Rookie of the Year honors on his way to fifth overall. His first MotoGP victory came at Laguna Seca in 2005. In all, Hayden would win three MotoGP races, five poles, set seven fastest laps and stand on the podium 28 times. Hayden scored a Superbike World Championship victory in 2016 in Malaysia. He was killed bicycling in Italy in 2017. That year, the AMA renamed the Horizon Award in his honor. Hayden was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame in 2018.