Re: Nicky Hayden ...
In fairness, Nicky was pretty respectable (don't recall just where he stood) in the free practice -- the qualifying session was mixed wed and dry and results are more about the luck of having the right tires at the particular moment than any measure of bikes' or riders' performance.
Also, Nicky crashed very hard and, while uninjured, was reportedly very very sore (and probably a bit gun-shy in the wet) for the qualifying session.
From what I read, most started on intermediates/cut slicks, then as the track dried, some came in for slicks. Those who did so at the right time ended up with the best times. Many (eg Barros, Capi, Colin) switched to slicks just as the rain dumped again.
Bob