The American will thus get the chance to introduce MotoGP machinery to the world's largest single-day spectator sporting event audience - potentially as high as 300,000 - prior to the inaugural
Red Bull Indianapolis
MotoGP, to be held on September 14 around the circuit's new 2.620-mile road course.
Hayden will ride around the legendary 2.5-mile oval aboard the 2007 Repsol Honda RC212V on which he competed in the 2008 season-opening Grand Prix of Qatar on March 9, approximately one hour before the start of the 92nd Indy 500.
"What an opportunity for the sport, my sponsors and most of all, for me!" beamed Hayden. "This is going to be cool, to do a lap in front of such a huge audience live and on TV on what is arguably the most famous track and race in the whole world. I hope the fans like what they see and hear, and hope they plan on coming back in September when the bikes roll out at IMS for the first time in a long time.
"I just need to get it straight with the officials that I don't mind rolling round in second gear waving to the fans, but when I come off Turn 4, the Pace Car needs to hold its line because as I head toward the bricks, I plan to open that baby up a little and blow out the cobwebs a little," he warned
The demonstration ride will mark Hayden's second trip to Indianapolis in as many months.
The Kentuckian officially christened the new Indianapolis road course with a lap on a vintage Indian motorcycle that competed in the only other motorcycle race at IMS, in 1909, and also turned laps on a Honda CBR1000 production bike.
