HAYDEN RETURNS TO SUPERBIKE ACTION Kawasaki rider plans to return after leg injury Irvine, Calif. (July 18, 2006) Kawasaki Racing Team rider, Roger Hayden, plans to return to AMA Superbike racing July 22, at Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., during the upcoming Superbike doubleheader. Hayden, 23, from Owensboro, Ky., sustained a broken right Tibia and Fibula during a crash while contending in Superbike at Barber Motorsports Park in April. Despite the injury, Hayden only missed one event at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., and continued to run in the AMA Supersport category after surgery to repair the damaged limb. Hayden received a plate and eight screws to secure the broken bones and wore a soft removable cast while walking with crutches for the last eight weeks. The cast allowed him to wear a specially designed protective boot while racing. Hayden’s crew also fitted his Kawasaki Ninja® ZX™-6RR with a special thumb brake to help him navigate the high-speed turns at Infineon Raceway and Road America where he finished fifth and fourth respectively. Prior to the crash, Hayden led the Supersport point standings after scoring wins at Daytona International Speedway and Barber Motorsports Park. His best finish this season since injuring his leg came at the brand new Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, where he summoned amazing grit and determination to score a runner-up finish. Over the last two months it has been Hayden’s idea to continue to compete in Supersport in order to keep his dream of winning the Supersport championship alive. For the last two seasons, Roger’s dream eluded him because his older brother Tommy proved to be the top gun by winning the Supersport championship while Roger finished runner-up. This season, Tommy decided to compete in Superbike only which has opened the door for Roger to run for the title. “It was pretty tough and I was in a lot of pain while I was racing,” said Hayden. “But I’m not going to let that stop me, I’ve got a job to do and I don’t want anybody crying for me because I’m hurt. I want to win the Supersport championship not just for me but also for Kawasaki, that’s why we are here.” Hayden continued, “I had two great seasons running against Tommy and now I have a chance to go after the title. I also wanted to run in Superbike because Kawasaki gave me a chance to race the new ZX-10R. The bottom line is that this effort is for everybody on my team and for Kawasaki.” Hayden currently trails leader Jamie Hacking by 48 points in the AMA Supersport point standings with five races remaining. On top of the excitement of contending in Superbike at Laguna Seca, Hayden is looking forward to watching his brother, Nicky Hayden, who will be contending in the U.S. MotoGP race. The upcoming U.S. MotoGP and Superbike doubleheader will mark the first time this season where all three Hayden brothers will be in competition on the same track in the same weekend. “It’s great that we are all going to be at Laguna together,” said Hayden. “It will be good to have all the family together, Mom (Rose), Dad (Earl), Jenny, Kathleen, Tommy and Nick. We don’t get to see each other a whole lot, so this weekend is special. Maybe with a little luck we’ll all be on the podium, then it will be really special, who knows.”