Nicky Hayden: Remembering motorsport’s much-loved “one-off”

The high-pressure nature of professional sport and the personal sacrifices that must be made to become elite often make sportsmen and women polarising characters. It seems that fact is only heightened in motorsport. But, very occasionally, one comes along who totally bucks the trend, who is universally appreciated.

Nicky Hayden typified the latter category.

One of five born into the…