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Good luck "ELBOWZ"

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Joined Jul 2006
11K Posts | 291+
Texas
Newly re-crowned AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies will make his MotoGP debut at a test following the October 21 Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang.

“I’m riding it the Monday after the weekend,” Spies confirmed in a phone call from Los Angeles, where he went following his win in Sunday’s final round of the Superbike series at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “(Crew chief) Tom Houseworth, he’s going to go over there with me. We’ll give it a go the day after the GP and see how it goes.”

Spies said he was going to attend the GP as a more than interested spectator. It’s been rumored that he’ll have his first race on the bike at the season ending Valencia Grand Prix, but, he said, “I don’t know that yet.”

Spies was told about the opportunity a few weeks ago, but he kept it quiet. News of the ride first came from Rizla Suzuki team manager Paul Denning.
 
Great for him...but why ride in the race on a bike he has never ridden at a track he has never seen in person....it could turn out to be embarrasing for him...
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MigsAngel @ Sep 18 2007, 10:12 AM) [snapback]91422[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
Great for him...but why ride in the race on a bike he has never ridden at a track he has never seen in person....it could turn out to be embarrasing for him...


Got to start somewhere.
<
 
Good Luck!

I think it was a mistake for him to stay another year in the AMA. But if it goes well during these testing sessions, can he be released from his contract and go to MotoGP next year? Yeah I know it’s a fantasy question, but just wondering what might be the possibilities. Would there even be room at Suzuki or are they thinking that perhaps Loris will be gone in 09 to make room?
 
I think the plan is run tests this year with one race...More testing next year with more wild-card runs.. (you can bet on Laguna)

Then 09 full time.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Racejumkie @ Sep 18 2007, 10:19 AM) [snapback]91428[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
Good Luck!

I think it was a mistake for him to stay another year in the AMA. But if it goes well during these testing sessions, can he be released from his contract and go to MotoGP next year? Yeah I know it’s a fantasy question, but just wondering what might be the possibilities. Would there even be room at Suzuki or are they thinking that perhaps Loris will be gone in 09 to make room?

jumkie spies is a suzuki factory rider so if they want him in gps i don't think that yosh will have much to say about it. i doubt he'll go in 08 except for the wild card rides. as far as room suzuki will probably have a 2nd team in 09.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(frosty58 @ Sep 18 2007, 08:29 AM) [snapback]91437[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
as far as room suzuki will probably have a 2nd team in 09.

You think this is realistic? I mean, yeah, I totally hope so but I don't see it in their budget. I think they are struggling now to develop the bike with two outstanding riders. If this last race is any indication of their development, I d' say they still have lots of work to do. I wouldn't think that they would want to double the amount of parts they would have to produce and rather focus on the two bikes they are running now. Has something changed?
 
I do not follow AMA but if hes on a Suzuki i heard they are well ahead of all the other manufacturers so he could be overrated.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Racejumkie @ Sep 18 2007, 01:38 PM) [snapback]91504[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
You think this is realistic?
well it's not so much what i think as what's been being talked about. jorge martinez+kevin schwantz+suzuki... so i'm gonna be optimistic & say yes it's realistic.
<
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(an4rew @ Sep 18 2007, 03:12 PM) [snapback]91517[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
I do not follow AMA but if hes on a Suzuki i heard they are well ahead of all the other manufacturers so he could be overrated.


Nope. He's managed to beat his teammate Mat Mladin who is on exactly the same machinery. According to wikipedia:

"[Mladin] has won the title 6 times (nobody else has more than 3), and holds series records for wins (51, breaking Miguel Duhamel's previous record of 27), poles (50), wins in a season (11) and poles in a season (10)."

Nobody thought he'd be beaten, but Spies has done it 2 seasons in a row. The guy has got talent for sure.

He says that he has a deal in place for 09, but Suzuki won't confirm it yet.

When he gets to GPs I'm gonna have 1 more guy to cheer for! I'm not much of a Suzuki fan though. I guess I'll have to become one.
<
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ThePhorest @ Sep 18 2007, 02:18 PM) [snapback]91549[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>

When he gets to GPs I'm gonna have 1 more guy to cheer for! I'm not much of a Suzuki fan though. I guess I'll have to become one.
<


Answer: Nicky shirt.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Racejumkie @ Sep 18 2007, 05:22 PM) [snapback]91552[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
Answer: Nicky shirt.


Maybe a Nicky shirt and a Ben hat.
<
 
I can't see Mat Mladin or Yoshi Suzuki standing in the way of Ben getting a factory GP ride.
They'd be crazy not to release him.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MigsAngel @ Sep 18 2007, 11:12 AM) [snapback]91422[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
Great for him...but why ride in the race on a bike he has never ridden at a track he has never seen in person....it could turn out to be embarrasing for him...

That is pretty much the scenario most American riders face when they go Gp,unlike their European counterparts that grew up racing on those tracks.Like someone else said,Gotta start somewhere.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Racejumkie @ Sep 18 2007, 12:38 PM) [snapback]91504[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
You think this is realistic? I mean, yeah, I totally hope so but I don't see it in their budget. I think they are struggling now to develop the bike with two outstanding riders. If this last race is any indication of their development, I d' say they still have lots of work to do. I wouldn't think that they would want to double the amount of parts they would have to produce and rather focus on the two bikes they are running now. Has something changed?


Could running additional bikes bring in more information and aid development? Feedback from additional riders with different riding styles could be beneficial as well.
 
Suzuki will definately run another team in 2009, they were thinking of doing it next year, but 2009 is definate, IMO anyway.. Schwantz will run the team and maybe Aspar will get in on the act too.. They need to expand to increase development and the likes of Kawasaki might follow in their foot steps (hopefully) .. We need a bigger GP grid as it is, this could be the way to do it..
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ThePhorest @ Sep 18 2007, 10:18 PM) [snapback]91549[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
Nope. He's managed to beat his teammate Mat Mladin who is on exactly the same machinery. According to wikipedia:
"[Mladin] has won the title 6 times (nobody else has more than 3), and holds series records for wins (51, breaking Miguel Duhamel's previous record of 27), poles (50), wins in a season (11) and poles in a season (10)."
Nobody thought he'd be beaten, but Spies has done it 2 seasons in a row. The guy has got talent for sure.


I thought Nicky Hayden had beaten Mladin in a straight fight for the AMA title in 2002...

Or was that just Honda PR?


On the original topic....
If Spies comes up to GPs in '09 then he'd need at least all of '09 and part of '10 to get used to the GP tracks....It took Hayden 4 years to really get to grips with EU, and Asian tracks, so you gotta figure Ben will have a steep learning curve not to mention tyres and the bikes...

Good luck to Ben...I just hope he does not become another AMA rider that goes home after not winning in their first year...a la Mladin and Duhamel
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mr. Shupe @ Sep 18 2007, 09:55 PM) [snapback]91584[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
Could running additional bikes bring in more information and aid development? Feedback from additional riders with different riding styles could be beneficial as well.


Y'know, there actually has been (unconfirmed) talk of some factories running three rider teams next year. Hmmm. At the end of the 250 last weekend the announcer stated that Jorge Lorenzo was confirmed as a factory Yamaha rider. Rossi, Edwards, Lorenzo?
<
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MigsAngel @ Sep 19 2007, 03:24 AM) [snapback]91600[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
I thought Nicky Hayden had beaten Mladin in a straight fight for the AMA title in 2002...

Or was that just Honda PR?
On the original topic....
If Spies comes up to GPs in '09 then he'd need at least all of '09 and part of '10 to get used to the GP tracks....It took Hayden 4 years to really get to grips with EU, and Asian tracks, so you gotta figure Ben will have a steep learning curve not to mention tyres and the bikes...

Good luck to Ben...I just hope he does not become another AMA rider that goes home after not winning in their first year...a la Mladin and Duhamel

Nicky did beat Mladin for the Superbike title in just his second year and went immediatly to Gp.Thats why a lot of people discount Mladins 6 titles,whenever someone came along and beat him they moved on and he clustered titles until someone else came along that could beat him.Bottom line is,he set out to make a living in bike racing and he has made a ton of money doing so.It was his choice,if he can live with it,so can i.
 

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