James Richard Barnaby Haydon (born 2 November 1973 in Amersham, Buckinghamshire), is a British former motorcycle racer.
He now works in media, presenting shows and race commentating on ITV and British Eurosport for World Superbike Championship and British Superbike Championship coverage, and he covers some Moto GP races when the regular commentators are unavailable.
He has worked for the BBC, Sky Sports, Motors TV, Al Jazeera and Radio 5 live.
James Haydon got his passion for speed through his father David, a doctor who loved fast cars and motorcycles.
In 1993, he performed well at the British 250cc Championship but lost the final race after the camera he was carrying for TV came loose, jamming his back wheel and causing him to crash.
A mid-season car accident damaged Haydon's neck and nerves badly, affecting his training and performance.
In 2002, Haydon joined Carl Fogarty's Foggy Petronas in the WSBK, developing the new bike for the first year.
At the end of the season he also raced in the last few MotoGP's (World Championship) for Kenny Roberts Proton team.
The incident was reviewed by an RAC panel and Haydon was cleared of all responsibility when the data logging proved the problem had been outside his control.
For 2007 Haydon returned to Virgin Yamaha alongside Tommy Hill in a Team he had excelled with in the past.
Says Haydon:[This quote needs a citation] After a long career my time had come to retire from racing bikes.
From a small kid on a dirt field all the way to the best circuits in the world in front of millions of people.
For the first time in 3 years Haydon got back on a modern bike at the 2010 British Superbike Championship round at Brands Hatch, Haydon joined the select few and rode some fast demo laps on the 2010 Rizla Suzuki Moto GP bike.
The couple lived in Andorra for many years[5] but now reside back in England[6] where Haydon works as a property developer.
[8] Former BSB and WSB Champion Neil Hodgson said of Haydon "For sure he was one of the fastest riders I've ever seen who never managed to win a British or World Championship.