The Kentucky Kid

by

The front lawn of the Owensboro Convention Center was crammed shoulder to shoulder with people waiting to catch a glimpse. A few children sat on parents’ shoulders to see over the line of news cameras and videographers. The fans in the back, perched on the steps along the front doors of the convention center, actually had the best sightline.  

This was not a concert during Friday After Five. It was not an event at the city’s annual International Barbecue Festival. It was a statue unveiling. 

Friday, June 8, 2018, was the day the family of 2006 MotoGP (motorcycle racing) World Champion Nicky Hayden chose to dedicate “The Kentucky Kid” statue in downtown Owensboro to honor his legacy in bronze. At the ceremony, Owensboro Mayor Tom Watson announced that June 9 would forever be known as Nicky Hayden Day in Owensboro. The ninth day of the sixth month, reflecting Hayden’s now-retired racing number, No. 69.

Roughly a year after Hayden’s untimely death from a bicycling accident while training in Italy in 2017, the statue unveiling served as a way to preserve his memory, honor his love for Owensboro, and inspire generations to come by reminding everyone what a kid from Owensboro with big dreams can achieve.   

For the Hayden family, the statue unveiling marked another special moment, as family members presented three grants to community organizations from the Nicky Hayden Memorial Foundation, which was created as a way for Nicky’s extended family, friends and fans around the world to pay their respects in the form of a donation.

Standing on the checkered flag pattern at the base of the statue, Nicky’s older brother, Tommy Hayden, explained, “Our goal is to grow this [foundation] and keep giving back to continue touching people’s lives just as Nicky would have done if he was still here.”

The family then awarded the first two grants from the Nicky Hayden Memorial Foundation: a $15,000 grant to the Cliff Hagan Boys & Girls Club, which was used to purchase a van to transport kids; and a $5,000 grant to Daviess County Public Schools, which was split between the Family Resource Centers at two elementary schools. 

Three years later, the foundation is still going strong as fans, family members, friends and other supporters in the racing community continue to hold fundraisers to benefit it. Since its inception, the foundation also has made contributions to Puzzle Pieces, Fresh Start women’s shelter, Habitat for Humanity, and St. Benedict’s Homeless Shelter.  

According to Mayor Watson, Nicky’s legacy is still “riding on” through the foundation’s grant disbursements and the Hayden family’s other contributions to the community.

“Having the opportunity to work with the Hayden family has been one of the most enjoyable things I have been able to do as mayor,” Watson said. “They are one of the most giving and caring families in our community. They are making a difference in so many lives that will endure for many years to come.” 

Nicky Hayden Apartments

Those who knew Hayden best say he had a soft spot for children, and he loved giving back. In one of many examples that flew under the radar, Hayden donated Strider bikes to children at the Daniel Pitino Shelter for the homeless in Owensboro. At the height of his racing career, he delivered the bikes himself and spent time with the children.  

Today, directly across the street from the Pitino Shelter and in view of the backyard play area where Nicky visited those young residents, the newly named Nicky Hayden Apartments stand on a tract of land that was purchased by the Hayden family and donated for the project. 

The apartments serve as transitional housing for families from the Pitino Shelter until they can sustain permanent housing on their own. The 12 apartments contain 640 square feet of space, including a full bathroom and kitchen with a refrigerator, dishwasher, and washer and dryer hookups. It took several years, some major donations, and multiple community partnerships—including funds from the Kentucky Housing Corporation—but the apartments were completed in the midst of the pandemic, and their opening was celebrated at a ribbon cutting in July 2020.  

St. Joseph’s Peace Mission Hayden Home for Girls  

A few blocks away from the Pitino Shelter, the Hayden Home for Girls was unveiled to the public with an open house held in September 2019, bringing to fruition a long-awaited project for St. Joseph’s Peace Mission for Children, an emergency shelter for children from birth to age 18. According to the home’s website, the Hayden Home for Girls can house up to eight girls, ages 12-18.  

Like the Nicky Hayden Apartment project, an available lot was purchased and cleared by the Hayden family and then donated to St. Joseph’s Peace Mission so construction could begin on what became known as the Hayden Home. 

With the addition of the Hayden Home, the campus expanded to four buildings, and Director Paula Yevincy identified a need for play space for the children and a commons area for visitors. So, the Hayden family stepped in again to provide the Nicky Hayden Commons Area in a central space on campus.

The Nicky Hayden Commons Area includes a landscaped green space plus a full basketball court, racquetball nets and gazebo. Gated for safety, the commons area provides a safe, therapeutic place for the children to run and play or just relax and enjoy the outdoors, according to Yevincy.

“It’s really special for Owensboro any time we can do something for kids and families and keep Nicky’s legacy alive,” Yevincy said on a drive through the new space in 2020. “I think that just warms everybody’s heart, especially during hard times.” 

6/9/21 

This year, Nicky Hayden Day again will be celebrated in a unique way on June 9. 

Lure Seafood and Grille owner Ben Skiadis is coordinating a fundraiser for the memorial foundation by selecting a private barrel of Four Roses Distillery bourbon and selling 200-plus bottles with tribute labels featuring a commissioned portrait of Nicky Hayden. The bottles will be numbered, and proceeds will go to the foundation.  

“As a bourbon lover, this is my way of helping contribute to the cause,” Skiadis said. “We got the family’s blessing on the idea, and, thankfully, Four Roses loved the idea and helped us pick a barrel. The fact that Master Distiller Brent Elliott is from Owensboro may have helped.” 

Lure is planning an entire event around the bourbon fundraiser to be held on Nicky Hayden Day. Details were still being worked out as of press time, but there are plans for a motorcycle ride from The Kentucky Kid statue through downtown and ending at Lure for live music. 

“What started from a small conversation with good people has turned into a much larger project and a cool event with local impact to honor one of our community’s heroes,” Skiadis said. “Because of our relationship with the Hayden family, their impact in the community, the work the foundation has done, and what a beloved person Nicky was, we’re thrilled to hopefully make $30,000 on this project to help the foundation continue their efforts.” 

The bottles will be numbered “Lap 1 of 200,” “Lap 2 of 200,” etc. Skiadis said that Mile Wide Brewery plans to use the selected barrel after the sale to age a batch of beer for a project culminating in another event on Nicky Hayden Day in June 2022. 

For more information about the bourbon project, or to RSVP for the event, contact Lure at LureOwensboro.com or 270.240.4556. 

What’s Next? 

The Haydens’ goal is to build upon Nicky’s platform and honor him the best way they can—by continuing to give back to Owensboro in his name. For the family, it’s not about notoriety; it’s about helping other people. Happy to stay out of the headlines, the Haydens are simply taking care of business and moving on to the next thing—the same way Nicky and his brothers, retired motorcycle racers Roger and Tommy, always did on the track. 

With awards and accolades stacking up for Hayden (see accompanying sidebar), the racing community around the world continues to contribute to the foundation, and other fans keep dreaming up more ways to commemorate The Kentucky Kid. 

The Kentucky Kid Statue

The inscription on the Owensboro tribute to Hayden reads:

Nicky Hayden was born on July 30, 1981. He was the son of Earl and Rose Hayden, the middle child of five, with two brothers and two sisters. Motorcycle racing was everything for the Hayden family. But that was especially true of Nicky. As soon as he could walk he was riding minibikes at the family’s home in Owensboro, Kentucky. Already declaring that he would become a world champion.

For an example of how far hard work and strong values can take a person, one need look no further than Nicky’s career, which evolved from amateur track and road racing to the AMA National Championship Series and eventually the FIM MotoGP and World Superbike Series. In 2006, he achieved his childhood dream of becoming a world champion.

Along the way, Nicky’s talent, charisma, dedication and kindness garnered legions of fans around the world. But even as an international superstar, his family was his anchor and the reason that he always returned to his beloved OWB.

On May 22, 2017, Nicholas Patrick Hayden’s life was cut short following a training accident on his bicycle in Italy.

This statue was created to help keep his famous smile alive for many years to come.

Nicky Hayden’s Career Highlights

Prior to leaving MotoGP, Nicky Hayden was named a “Legend”—MotoGP’s version of a Hall of Fame—in 2015 and was still actively racing World Superbike at the time of his accident in 2017. 

Hayden emerged on the racing scene in 1997, winning the inaugural American Motorcyclist Association 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 winner of the AMA Superbike Championship, including the 2002 Daytona 200.  

Hayden raced 13 years in MotoGP, capturing 28 podiums, three wins and five pole positions. He was 2003 MotoGP Rookie of the Year and won the World Championship in 2006, breaking Valentino Rossi’s five-year winning streak. He also won a race in World Superbike and was 5th in points in 2016.