DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 1, 2018) – The American Motorcyclist Association announced today that Nicky Hayden, Skip Eaken and Clifford “Corky” Keener – professional flat track legends all – are part of a six-person Motorcycle Hall of Fame class of 2018.

The following is from the AMA:

Nicky Hayden 
Known as "The Kentucky Kid," Nicky Hayden, of Owensboro, Ky., was a force on the American motorcycle racing scene before taking his talent to the world stage, ultimately winning motorcycle racing's grandest championship, the FIM MotoGP title in 2006.

Born in 1981, Hayden raced flat track and road raced Yamaha YSR50s and then Honda RS125s as a youngster. With the full support of his family, especially parents Rose and Earl Hayden, Nicky Hayden's story was a classic tale of an American grassroots racer accelerating through the ranks. In 1997, he capped his amateur career with the first-ever AMA Horizon Award, presented for his triumphs in flat track. The award signified that Hayden had proven himself to be the amateur racer with the brightest potential for continued success in the pro ranks.

With the Horizon Award in hand, the "Kentucky Kid" turned pro at the age of 16. As a professional, Hayden competed in the AMA Grand National Championship, the pro flat track series, as well as in AMA Pro Road Racing.

He signed with American Honda in 1999 to race the AMA 600 Supersport class, winning the 600cc championship that same year. Honda moved Hayden to the factory AMA Superbike team in 2000, and in 2002 he captured the AMA Superbike Championship. At age 21, Hayden became the youngest champion in the history of AMA Superbike racing.

Hayden then moved to the Repsol Honda MotoGP effort for 2003, earning his first MotoGP win at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., in 2005. He won there again in 2006 while on his way to winning the MotoGP World Championship.

Hayden moved to the factory Ducati team in 2009, returning to Honda in 2014. He began racing in the FIM World Superbike series for Honda in 2016.

Tragically, Hayden was hit by a car while training on a bicycle in Italy on May 17, 2017. He succumbed to his injuries five days later, on May 22.

Skip Eaken 
Skip Eaken was a motorcycle racing tuner from Lodi, Ohio, who began building competitive and reliable flat track racers in the 1970s. He notched his first Grand National victory in 1983 with Ted Boody riding a Eaken-prepped Harley-Davidson.

Eaken is best known as the mechanic who worked on AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Bubba Shobert's factory Honda motorcycles in the 1980s, when Shobert won three AMA Grand National Championships, collecting an AMA Superbike title and 28 Grand National flat track wins.

After Honda scaled back its factory racing programs, Eaken continued tuning flat track and road racing motorcycles in Indianapolis until his passing in 2012.

The late Skip Eaken.

Clifford "Corky" Keener 
Clifford "Corky" Keener was a professional flat track racer during the 1970s. Known by the nickname "Mr. Dirt," he worked as an electrician for General Motors Corp. while he was getting his racing career started.

He almost quit racing when his results did not improve, but he decided to stick with it and eventually became a factory Harley-Davidson rider.

Keener won five AMA Grand National races during his career. He raced during a talent-filled era that often had him banging bars with the likes of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers Kenny Roberts and Jay Springsteen. Keener raced through the 1980 season.

"Corky" Keener (62) dueling with Rex Beauchamp (31) during the 1970s.

Other members of the Class of 2018 include off-road champion Terry Cunningham, motorcycle movie stuntman Gary Davis and trailblazing female racer May McGee.

The AMA HOF induction ceremony is part of the 2018 AMA Legends & Champions Weekend, Dec. 7-9. The AMA Legends & Champions Weekend also includes the 2018 AMA Championship Banquet at the Hilton Columbus/Polaris on Dec. 8, and an open house and formal installment of Hall of Fame honors at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, on Dec. 9.

Tickets for AMA Legends & Champions Weekend will be available soon at www.americanmotorcyclist.com.