Roger Lee Hayden and Nick McFadden will be joining other local dirt track racers and pro riders from across the country as part of the Great American Motorcycle Revolution event Friday at the Daviess County Fairgrounds in Philpot.
The races are part of a three-day motorcycle rally hosted by Tab’s Motorcycle Extravaganza featuring live music, a variety of food vendors, beer garden, dirt drags, swap meet, a bike show in the exhibition hall and more.
According to the event schedule on TabsMoto.com, heat races start at 5 p.m. and the main event flat track race starts at 7 p.m. Friday.
Hayden is the youngest of the Tommy, Nicky and Roger Lee brothers’ racing dynasty, and he recently retired from professional racing. He said he’s enjoying being able to do one-off races like this, especially when it’s local.
He was quoted on the event website saying, “I’m really excited to get a chance to race at a local event right here in Owensboro at the fairgrounds. I know they are working hard to put on a great event, so I’m looking forward to some great racing for the local fans.”
Since his retirement at the conclusion of 2018 racing season, Hayden has raced twice in the dirt track series for Estenson Racing, for which his older brother Tommy is the Director of Racing Operations.
“It’s a lot of fun. Honestly I’m trying to figure out how to do some more, so there might be a few TT races,” he said. “Those TT tracks have small jumps and both left and right hand turns, not just circle or oval tracks. “I might be a little better at those because I’m used to that (from road racing).”
McFadden, a local professional racer, is also excited to race Friday night and hopes to give Hayden — his training partner — a run for his money. McFadden currently races for Rickdiculous Racing in the supersport class of the MotoAmerica road racing series.
“It’s really cool to be racing a dirt track close to home,” he said. “It’s something I haven’t done since I was a kid, and to have people stepping up to put on a race and support the sport is a really nice thing to see. I’m looking forward to it.”
Darin Tapp is promoting the Great American Motorcycle Revolution in partnership with Tabs Moto Events.
There is also a big lineup of live music throughout the weekend. Tapp says Ambush Sound is bringing in staging and a 100,000-watt sound and light show. Bosco France is the headliner Friday for blues night. Skinny Molly is headlining Saturday night, fresh off their European tour. Jericho Woods, who Rolling Stone Magazine just called “a top 10 country band to watch” will also be playing.
Tapp said they are going to end the weekend with the inaugural Revolution Charity Ride to benefit the Nicky Hayden Foundation. The line of motorcycles will ride from the fairgrounds to Nicky Hayden’s final resting place for prayers before going downtown to the bronze memorial statue.
For more information, visit tabsmoto.com or visitowensboro.com.
