Even though Indianapolis has become Nicky Hayden’s true home event, the Laguna Seca Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix is always a special weekend on the calendar for the Kentucky Kid.

Nicky Hayden entered the history books back when he won the first race at the Californian track after it’s re-emergence on the MotoGP schedule in the 2005 MotoGP season, Hayden then managed to repeat the result in 2006 en route to his first World Championship title that year, writing his name into Laguna Seca folklore.

Nicky Hayden returns again this year, with a DNF in 2007 and fifth place last year, Nicky Hayden will be appearing in America for the first time as a Ducati rider and is determined to put on a spectacle for his loyal fans, even though he has had a tough start to the season thus far.

“This year we’re racing in America on the 4th of July weekend and it’s perfect,” said Hayden. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the holiday than at the US GP! Also the fact my brothers will be racing on the same weekend in the AMA championship helps make it special for me. This will be the first time my American fans get to see me on a Ducati so that will be cool because there are a lot of Ducati fans in the states. No predictions or anything but we’ll go full gas and see what happens.”

Nicky Hayden currently sits at 15th in the championship standings, a total of only 26 points to his name so far in his debut Ducati 2009 season, However Nicky Hayden has a good opportunity this weekend at his best track. “We still have a lot of work to do but it has been nice to see a little progress over the last few weeks and at Laguna I really need to take another big step,” the Ducati rider added.

“I don’t have any big plan or anything, it’s not that easy! All I know to do is keep trying and working at it and hope it will come. Laguna is a great track and very challenging. There are a few points that stick out but in general it is different to most tracks, which usually have a few different sections, whereas Laguna is basically just one section and you have to put it all together to make a good lap.”

We look forward as Nicky Hayden attempts to recapture some of that form that gained him the World Championship.