Whenever he tests at a particular facility, Honda's Nick Hayden likes to do at least 69 laps at full tire-burning speed.

"When I call my dad each night he always asks, you know, how many laps you do today, son?' and if I tell him 69, it's all good." It's like his competition number emblazoned across the front and sides of his RC51, and on his leathers and helmet, serve as a constant reminder of how many laps he aims to do in testing.

Hayden didn't quite get 69 laps in yesterday at Laguna Seca, but he did get close. And he left with fast time or equally fast time for the day.

"I think, for most of the day I was in a rut," the recent Daytona winner said last night. "I was over-riding the bike for most of the day, just trying too hard. Towards the end of the day I just settled down, chilled out a little and then the times came down. Me and Doug (Chandler) did the same lap time on the same lap-we did it together. That was pretty cool."

One of the bigger problems Hayden encountered yesterday was just getting his head around using a conventional rear slick again after using the very circuit-specific tires at Daytona, tires that, in most cases, have the same traction qualities as the plate you ate your eggs on this morning.

"After Daytona, it takes, you know, 20 laps to get it through your head that the bike is not going to come around on you when you gas it," Hayden said.

"I think we'll be able to get some good work down tomorrow," Hayden said of the three-day test. "We have some new things to try, little things, and I think I just need to continue to smooth out. I'll go faster. It took me two days to go as fast as I did today at our first test here at Laguna this year."