Indy MotoGP: Nicky Hayden unhurt after crash

Nicky Hayden was thankful on two counts after his Indianapolis MotoGP weekend got off to a mixed start.

The Kentucky rider was able to clock the third best time in opening practice to give his hopes of a third straight rostrum at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway a big early boost.

A lap of 1.41.405 saw Hayden beaten only by factory Ducati team-mate Casey Stoner and dominant world championship leader Jorge Lorenzo.

But the American was fortunate not to aggravate the left wrist he damaged in a qualifying crash during the recent Czech Republic MotoGP in Brno when he tumbled again.

Hayden lost the front-end of his factory Ducati GP10 and trying to avoid further damage to the left wrist he chipped in Brno, he suffered a nasty looking friction burn on his left arm.

Explaining the crash he said: “It was rider error. I actually started out quite good and the bike felt good. I was going pretty decent times with had a hard tyre on the rear.

“I put in a soft tyre and felt quite a lot better immediately and started pushing the front a bit and made a little mistake. I got in a little bit hot and was just off line.

“With it being Friday afternoon I thought’ don’t try to force it.’ But thinking that I’d just run wide and just down I went. It is bumpy in that corner and off line is not good. But I went pretty easy.

“As soon as I went down, I think that’s how I hurt my arm, because I was trying to protect my wrist. I dug my elbow in and my arm got hot because it turned.”

Another stroke of fortune for Hayden was his factory Ducati GP10 suffered no significant damage.

He was caught on TV replays sprinting to his stricken machine with the engine still running.

He added: “I got up and I heard it still running and took off after it and had to shut it down, because of the engine rules. I’ve already lost one engine.

“When I got over there the handlebar broke off and was up under it, so it wasn’t like I could just hit the button. I had to look and the handlebar was all spun around.

“There’s about two or three switches on that bar that look the same when it’s turned around backwards, so I had to start hitting buttons and finally shut it down.”