The 2004 season has not gone to plan for Repsol Honda rider Nick Hayden. The former Superbike champ and dirt track stand-out has struggled in a season when some picked him to win the world championship. He is arguably entering the most important period in his GP career when the international series goes back on-line on August 22nd; Hayden needs to solidify his '04 season and make enough headlines to insure he stays in the GP fame for '05.

I recently talked with the 23 year old American sensation about his '04 season.

Q Summarize your '04 season thus far. How has it gone: preseason versus racing?

A I'm probably my toughest critic, but it definitely hasn't went how I'd hoped - the preseason was really good, and we were really quick. Some things at the start of the year just really didn't quite go that great. Especially at South Africa, I didn't have the pace there. The pace really stepped up a lot this year from last year.

Testing in the winter, I was pretty close, and everything was good, and then when we kind of did the IRTA test in Europe, the weather was so bad, and nobody really got to go, and I guess, to be honest with you, I kind of got caught out. I didn't see the pace coming. When we got to South Africa, I kind of realized that Rossi and the Yamaha had really raised the level, and everybody tried to close in there. And then Le Mans, and Mugello and Spain, which is three races where nothing ... we couldn't get anything to really roll. I mean we suffered with just little frustrating stuff. We had good speed, I was on the front row for two of those races. And then I crashed out of one, just trying too hard. And in Spain, from the crash the week before, something was - actually got damaged in the clutch. And on the one bike, I had problems with, and I told them something felt wrong on that bike. But I didn't ride that bike that much, except Sunday on the race. And ended up having a clutch problem and could not get it off the line. I knew on the warm-up lap I was in trouble. And then I picked up a rock in the radiator.

It's those things in racing that just make the big difference, those little breaks, and kind of getting that momentum on your side. It was definitely frustrating, because I just had high expectations.

But lately we've kind of re-grouped, and it's been coming better. At Assen I had a really good ride to get things going. Other than I qualified 16th, but in the race I was as quick as anybody. Got up to fifth, and was so close to getting Melandri and Biaggi the last lap. And from there, just kind of building on it. But still missing that last little bit to put it all together, to hopefully get a win.

Q Where do you think the increased pace has come from this season, from your perspective?

A I think it's just everybody pushing each other. When you got that many guys, especially guys that are World Champions, everybody's got big egos and they're used to winning, and nobody likes to get beat. And then, I think, when Rossi went to Yamaha, not only did it seem like he's riding the bike maybe better, but he made the bike better, and made Checa and Melandri and these other guys, brought them into the picture.

I think it's just everybody pushing each other, is the big thing, just like any series or any sport or anything else, that competition's what gets the best out of everybody.

Q Is it better for you this year, because you've seen all of these tracks, and the bike is mostly, a known entity?

A Yeah. It is definitely a lot better. At the track, I feel a bit more relaxed this year, and can worry more about the riding. I'm actually having more fun this year than last year. Last year was cool, seeing it all, but it was not - sometimes there was so much new stuff going on, it almost felt like I was playing catch-up all weekend, learning the track and learning the lifestyle. But this year, it's more fun. Not only that, just going into the race, being on the front row, or if, like at Donington, I was second or third in the morning practice, at least, you know, maybe not believing I'm the favorite. Last year was not fun, starting fourteenth sometimes, and thinking 'God, if I can get top five, it's going to be really tough'. But at least here - and even at the end of qualifying, just to be really right in there mixing it up - not to the level I want, but it is nice.

Q Your qualifying performance has definitely improved this year, but it's just not consistent. Would you say that's accurate?

A Yeah. It is improved, and it's so important, qualifying. I mean, I've never been a big qualifier, and it takes a different mentality. And I think the Europeans kind of really are into that, really putting the head down one lap and hanging it out. I worked on it a lot this winter, and definitely improved. This year, I've had - with three to a row, I'm not at the level where I'm going to be able to start on the third row, which may only be seventh position, and reel the boys in. I at least need to be right there from the first lap. And I learn more that way, and see what's going on. But I definitely need to get it consistent.

And the last couple races, I've actually went back - you know, only could go the same speed on Saturday. That's definitely not made me happy. The team, we try some stuff on Saturday, and we've actually been making it worse on Sunday. And we end up Sunday almost going back, or at the end of qualifying, just go out on the same bike as the day before and do the same time.

Q Are you concerned about the spec of the Honda that you receive, or is that really not a day-to-day concern with you?

A You know, it's not that big of a concern. I know my bike is definitely capable of winning, and lately, Alex has got a different spec engine, and a few things. But I think I'll have that engine for Czecho. And Sete, who's in the middle of the title hunt, got some things. I know my bike's more than capable of winning, and it's pretty simple. We knew going into the year that you get the results, you get the parts. And I haven't done my end of the deal. But still ... It's not a problem. I mean, Sete won races last year on a satellite bike, and really, it's pretty even.

Q Do you think it's more of a psychological advantage to some people, where the parts go? Because Rossi's winning races on, arguably, one of the slowest bikes out there.

A Yeah. I mean, sure. Some guys get so caught up in it, just studying, wanting to known who's got what, and it definitely gets to people a lot. I think some guys just let it eat them up in the head. But right now, in this series, having the fastest bike ... it's not about going - top speed is such a small part of it, when you're talking about 240 horsepower. I mean, the Ducati is by far the fastest bike, but you've got to be able to ride it. You've got to be able to use that power. And like you said, Rossi's winning on the, one of the, probably, slower bikes. So I think, right now, if I could get one thing, it wouldn't be more horsepower. That's the least of my worries. Most of the time, we're changing things to get less power, smoother power, and stuff.

Q If you could get one (other) thing, what would it be?

A More grip, probably. And right now, Michelin has really made big headway on the rear tire. So I think in the next race or two, we'll see a new front tire. Because right now they've made the rear so good that the balance needs to come back a bit. I mean, the last couple of races, a lot of guys have been losing the front. You haven't seen the highsides and losing the rears as much as we seen last year, but guys are losing the front. So tires are such a big deal, and like I said, when you've got that kind of power, the biggest thing is getting it hooked up and getting the right tire for you. And there's so many different tires. A lot of guys use some different tires; Yamahas run different tires than we like. So that's one of the biggest challenges is getting the tire.

Q Getting that, and getting that A spec tire, which is probably a bigger thing than getting the spec engine or anything like that, right? Getting the good tire?

A I don't know. I think the tire deal, now, is pretty even, as far as tires. They say in the past everybody had different spec tires. But I think it's more tires now; there's so many options. Left, right, rubber, construction, it's getting one that is really going to be good the last ten laps that's important. And that's where, at Germany and Rio, I think I chose maybe a little bit too soft, and I wasn't ready to go the last five laps, when guys really dropped the hammer.

And then England, the last five, eight laps, I was the fastest guy on the track, but there, I let everybody already get away. I think it goes back to, just like I said, putting it all together on the right weekend.

Q When you get on the podium, are you happy, or are you pissed off?

A My first podium was cool, but I'm over podiums. I'm not over there putting everything into it, and doing what I'm doing, to be satisfied with second and third. But I realize it's just going to ... you've got to crawl before you can walk, and I know I've got to just work, and it's not going to happen overnight. By now, I hope it comes, but I'm not happy with podiums. That's never been my style. But then again, this year, I was happy at Rio, to get my first one, and that was the best result of the year, just to see progress. But after that, no. I believe I can win races. I know I can. That's what I want to do.

To be continued ...