Ducati ponder Ben Spies swoop

My SV1K makes 75 lbft of torque. I can handle it so maybe I could ride the GP?...oh .... it's that pesky 235 hp...rats.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Austin @ Aug 10 2009, 09:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Capirossi actually was running up front all season until he was involved in the carnage in Barcelona. He was a title contender before that.


I stand corrected your memory is alot better than mine.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ducati_Desmosedici

my only problem is that what does Ben bring that Nicky didn't? i mean surely if Nicky went to WSBK after he won the AMA he would of been just as good. Do ducati get anything extra wit ben then nicky? i am not convinced -yet. He certainly is no Rossi thats for sure, and i dnt think he is any better then CS, DP or JL. so why the risk?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mstar @ Aug 19 2009, 01:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>my only problem is that what does Ben bring that Nicky didn't? i mean surely if Nicky went to WSBK after he won the AMA he would of been just as good. Do ducati get anything extra wit ben then nicky? i am not convinced -yet. He certainly is no Rossi thats for sure, and i dnt think he is any better then CS, DP or JL. so why the risk?
He is reputed to be a good development/set-up rider.

There is a report in RRW that Stoner texted Spies - encouraging him to take
a seat in Moto GP and Spies' reply was in fact that he was not rushing into it
specifically because he believes his weight will be a disadvantage.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Keshav @ Aug 19 2009, 06:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>There is a report in RRW that Stoner texted Spies - encouraging him to take
a seat in Moto GP and Spies' reply was in fact that he was not rushing into it
specifically because he believes his weight will be a disadvantage.


Purge Ben, purge .

It won't hurt to give it a go I'm sure if it doesn't work out then he can always head back to SBK. Is he afraid of failing?

how on earth are stoner and spies linked together enough to be sending each other text messages?

i smell ........!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mstar @ Aug 19 2009, 08:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>He certainly is no Rossi thats for sure. and i dnt think he is any better then CS, DP or JL. so why the risk?

he has never competed in a season of MotoGP (just 3 races, and on a Suzuki at that) so you can't say that with certainty

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BigAl @ Aug 19 2009, 11:43 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>how on earth are stoner and spies linked together enough to be sending each other text messages?

i smell ........!


C'mon - it's a small world. How hard is it for Stoner to have his assistant or secretary or
whatever he's got - get in touch with Ben's mom to get his phone #? I can just see it
now.

"Helloo, yes this is Missus Spies. Who's calling? Casey who? Nope, never heard of him.
Is this a crank call? Young lady you should be ashamed of yourself. Does your mother
know you do this sort of thing?"

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Keshav @ Aug 19 2009, 07:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>C'mon - it's a small world. How hard is it for Stoner to have his assistant or secretary or
whatever he's got - get in touch with Ben's mom to get his phone #? I can just see it
now.

"Helloo, yes this is Missus Spies. Who's calling? Casey who? Nope, never heard of him.
Is this a crank call? Young lady you should be ashamed of yourself. Does your mother
know you do this sort of thing?"

like i said, BS...

not on your part but on the part of the journo who wrote that in RRW. using CS's name to lend credence to their opinion that Spies must go to Motogp now..

being a brit supporter i think Mr Ducati is missing out on something here...

there is a Pramac bike going spare (or was last time i heard, sadly im busy that weekend) and both Neil Hodgson AND Chaz Davis have experience of the Ducati MotoGP bike and are unhappy where they are atm...chaz on the aprillia i believe in what was AMA...

if Spies comes it would be great but i fear he would be judged too harshly at first whilst adapting to the bike which wouldnt be fair given his talent...having casey as a team mate cant be easy...

i say...get Neil or Chaz at LEAST on the Pramac bike THIS year and from there maybe they would have a shout at the real bike!...the likelyhood of this is slim but we can always hope

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BigAl @ Aug 19 2009, 04:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>like i said, BS...

not on your part but on the part of the journo who wrote that in RRW. using CS's name to lend credence to their opinion that Spies must go to Motogp now..



I don't see it as being far fetched. It's a small world. How hard would it be
for someone like Stoner to obtain the phone number of another pro in the
same industry? Spies has both raced and spectated at GPs - so why would
it be such a stretch for the two of them to have met and exchanged numbers?
.... . . . if guys like Jumke can weasel their way into the paddock for autographs
- how unlikely is that Spies would have stopped by to chat in Stoner's garage
and traded numbers?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BigAl @ Aug 19 2009, 04:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>how on earth are stoner and spies linked together enough to be sending each other text messages?

i smell ........!


I am afraid its truth your smelling there BigAl !! I cant remember were, but some time late last year or maybe this year I read a interview with Spies, and he did indeed say Stoner text him saying get to GPs !! I thought how are they linked ?? But it was there in black and white.
maybe they met at MILFS and WAGS do ?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Keshav @ Aug 19 2009, 02:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>.... . . . if guys like Jumke can weasel their way into the paddock for autographs
- how unlikely is that Spies would have stopped by to chat in Stoner's garage
and traded numbers?

Haha, hahahahaha, actually not as hard as one might think. If you will believe it, I just acquired Ben Spies’ 2003 supersport bike (yes, one of his actual race bikes). I got it from a former racer who knows lots of people in the AMA paddock. I sold my track bike last month (yeah, Rog, the red Gsxr is gone) and one thing led to another, and bam; I have Spies’ former bike. That’s no BS. I will post pics of my restoration project later, I've decided to paint it with an 08 replica of his superbike title bike). So if I can get my hands on Spies’ bike, a nobody with a nack for being a paddock fly on the wall, can you imagine a MotoGP world champion? ...., I have no doubt Stoner has Spies' number on speed dial. Hello, his teammate is Nicky, who probably had it on speed dial too.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BigAl @ Aug 19 2009, 08:43 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>how on earth are stoner and spies linked together enough to be sending each other text messages?

i smell ........!

The motorcycle racing paddock is a small community my friend. Spies and Nicky Hayden probably know eachother quite well, both being AMA champs. I wouldn't be surprised if Nicky and Ben had lunch with Casey a few times.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Aug 19 2009, 08:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Haha, hahahahaha, actually not as hard as one might think. If you will believe it, I just acquired Ben Spies' 2003 supersport bike (yes, one of his actual race bikes). I got it from a former racer who knows lots of people in the AMA paddock. I sold my track bike last month (yeah, Rog, the red Gsxr is gone) and one thing led to another, and bam; I have Spies' former bike. That's no BS. I will post pics of my restoration project later, I've decided to paint it with an 08 replica of his superbike title bike). So if I can get my hands on Spies' bike, a nobody with a nack for being a paddock fly on the wall, can you imagine a MotoGP world champion? ...., I have no doubt Stoner has Spies' number on speed dial. Hello, his teammate is Nicky, who probably had it on speed dial too.

Dude, you need to blow the cobwebs out of the "PetrolZone"......we need some pic's!!!!!!!!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Traverser @ Aug 19 2009, 07:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Dude, you need to blow the cobwebs out of the "PetrolZone"......we need some pic's!!!!!!!!
I wil, I will. I'm still working on the project though. Here is a little taste:
78721090204.JPG]
78731090214.JPG]
78741090218.JPG]
78751090222.JPG]

I'll post the complete evolution of the project when I'm done.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumkie @ Aug 20 2009, 03:36 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Haha, hahahahaha, actually not as hard as one might think. If you will believe it, I just acquired Ben Spies’ 2003 supersport bike (yes, one of his actual race bikes). I got it from a former racer who knows lots of people in the AMA paddock. I sold my track bike last month (yeah, Rog, the red Gsxr is gone) and one thing led to another, and bam; I have Spies’ former bike. That’s no BS. I will post pics of my restoration project later, I've decided to paint it with an 08 replica of his superbike title bike). So if I can get my hands on Spies’ bike, a nobody with a nack for being a paddock fly on the wall, can you imagine a MotoGP world champion? ...., I have no doubt Stoner has Spies' number on speed dial. Hello, his teammate is Nicky, who probably had it on speed dial too.



The motorcycle racing paddock is a small community my friend. Spies and Nicky Hayden probably know eachother quite well, both being AMA champs. I wouldn't be surprised if Nicky and Ben had lunch with Casey a few times.
ok ok ok!

i'm going to claim it was a "Tom" moment and i was just arguing to promote discussion...




after thinking more about it, IMO its the link between CS, Chaz Davies and Ben that they have in common (2 degrees of seperation).



p.s. i hope you are going to take that bike round a track soon....

22 August 2009 10:51

Poncharal told MCN: “I’m hoping to have some more firm plans fixed in Indianapolis next week. It is getting to that time when decisions need to be taken and as I have always said, James is a contender for next season.” One of the Tech 3 Yamaha bikes will definitely go to Colin Edwards and or WSB rookie sensation Ben Spies.

mcn