For Nicky Hayden this weekend’s Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas is of course a special occasion, as one of the two U.S. rounds on the 2014 MotoGP™ calendar.

The Kentucky Kid has tasted victory previously on home territory, with his 2005 and 2006 Laguna Seca wins, though last year at Austin – the venue for this weekend’s racing – he could only manage ninth place.

Meanwhile, Hayden started the 2014 season and the latest chapter of his career, on the ‘Open’ Honda RCV1000R, with an eighth place result in Qatar and now he will head to the Circuit of the Americas in Texas aiming to build on that result at the second round of the season.

The DRIVE M7 Aspar Team rider stated, “A home Grand Prix is always something very special and I really look forward to getting there, seeing all the fans that support me so much and getting back on track. Austin is really a great track, it is a very state of the art facility - safe, long, and wide but honestly last year there I didn't get on with it great and was never able to be fast, especially in the first half of the track.”

“That's got to change this year and even though I know the acceleration off those slow corners won't be kind to us all the changes of direction should suit me and this bike well. So let's hope we can get a result to make the home crowd proud.”