Nicky Hayden -WSBK?

As the Factory Ducati MotoGP squad 'quietly' let their option on Nicky Hayden pass this weekend, there has been plenty of speculation on who will fill his seat (Redding, Crutchlow?) -but little discussion on where the Kentucky Kid will go.  Motoblog.it (Italian, do a google translate) has speculated, and I love this idea, that he will go to a revival of the Ducati World Superbike factory team and the introduction of the Panigale into the competition limelight.  There are rumors that Carlos Checa (the current Ducati WSBK darling) does not like the Panigale and is looking elsewhere for a ride.  My favorite part about this is the last time Nicky convincingly rode to many victories was at the bars of the very similar-to-Panigale Honda RC-51 with the AMA Superbike championship in 2002 (the same year our favorite son, Colin Edwards used the same bike to win WSBK).  It would be nice to see Nicky in a competetive ride since Honda pulled the rug out from under him with its shrimp-favoring 2007 dwarfish-MotoGP bike and saying, "thanks for the championship Nicky, now hold still why we kick you in the nuts!"  -Go Nicky!