How good is Ben Spies

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Arrabbiata1 @ Jul 1 2009, 04:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>With all due respect Sacky, the guy has this extraordinary technique/capacity for learning new circuits. He say's that he finds it easier to attack it from the first session, run off where necessary and push to find the limits very early on. This seems to have been vindicated by his outstanding results on some of the more technical circuits - Phillip Island, Valencia (forget the crash), Donington, Assen.

So what's left? Brno - admittedly, Haga and Fabi own the place, Nürburgring, Imola, Magny-Cours and Portimão. Spies will LOVE Portimão - I predict a double - especially if the championship goes down to the wire. Nürburgring - some of the high speed turns suit the Ducati, but another very technical track that Spies will love to crack. Can you seriously see him struggle at Imola? - but again Fabi and Haga will be very strong. Magny Cours...anyone's guess. Don't really like it myself - although it supposedly saved Aussie Steve Martins life!
Explain?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (rickyduck @ Jul 1 2009, 05:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'> Explain?
There was a massive crash at the first corner in race 2 - can't remember the year, and I don't want to speculate because if I'm wrong, Tom may ask me to stay behind after class. It was when he rode the FP1, - probably '05. Martin, and Giovanni Bussei (remember him? - no ........, no pretence, proper die hard privateer, and a Grizzly Adams beard to boot) were caught up (amongst others) in a horrific looking incident. It may not have even been Magny Cours, although I'm sure it was. I'm sure Martin was able to walk away, but needed surgery for some reason, and in the process it was discovered that he had cancer. I dunno how, or where, perhaps it was prostate cancer discovered by elevated levels of PSA in his blood. This enabled them to treat it in its very early stages, where it might, as prostate cancer tends to do, have gone undetected.

I think his highly unfunny American counterpart has also suffered from this, but I can assure you I'm not getting confused between the two. As far as I am aware, Steve 'the jerk' Martin, never rode for Foggy Petronas Racing in spite of it's comical reputation.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Arrabbiata1 @ Jul 1 2009, 05:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Giovanni Bussei (remember him? - no ........, no pretence, proper die hard privateer, and a Grizzly Adams beard to boot)

yeap, really cool guy!
http://www.tavlikos.com/index.php?option=c...85&Itemid=3
here with rossi
http://www.superbikeplanet.com/image/ARCHIVE/rossimoto/2.jpg

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Arrabbiata1 @ Jul 1 2009, 11:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>With all due respect Sacky, the guy has this extraordinary technique/capacity for learning new circuits. He say's that he finds it easier to attack it from the first session, run off where necessary and push to find the limits very early on. This seems to have been vindicated by his outstanding results on some of the more technical circuits - Phillip Island, Valencia (forget the crash), Donington, Assen.

So what's left? Brno - admittedly, Haga and Fabi own the place, Nürburgring, Imola, Magny-Cours and Portimão. Spies will LOVE Portimão - I predict a double - especially if the championship goes down to the wire. Nürburgring - some of the high speed turns suit the Ducati, but another very technical track that Spies will love to crack. Can you seriously see him struggle at Imola? - but again Fabi and Haga will be very strong. Magny Cours...anyone's guess. Don't really like it myself - although it supposedly saved Aussie Steve Martins life!
We might have to start saying, used to suit the Ducati. Spies was making the hay and putting big chunks of distance on everybody in the high speed downhill sweepers at Donnington. Im not sure what the name of the section was but he was visably faster there and was visably faster out of the last slow corner before the start finish line.The new Yamaha seems to have the characteristics of a Ducati in some parts of the track and characteristics of a 4 in others,even though it is no were near as fast as some of the other i4's or the Aprilia V4. The big difference is Spies, he is just flat out fooking fast

How good is Spies.......Extremely good. It's nice that he's finally pulled himself up to the world stage, but i'm not getting carried away yet. I think he could potentially get to the 'best of the rest' level in motogp (top 6 or so) or be a world superbike champion.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (povol @ Jul 1 2009, 06:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>The big difference is Spies, he is just flat out fooking fast
Watching Spies thru the Craner Curves, Old Hairpin, Schwantz, this last weekend was scary, the guy was so damn fast thru that section.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Bootsakah @ Jul 1 2009, 06:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Watching Spies thru the Craner Curves, Old Hairpin, Schwantz, this last weekend was scary, the guy was so damn fast thru that section.

I was trackside on the Craner curves mate and yeah......... he's FOOKIN fast.

Bearing in mind how many times the likes of Haslam, Byrne, Sykes etc have ridden around donnington and not one of em could even put up a reasonable fight let alone beat Ben on a track he'd only ridden on his playstation

Yeah - Spies is special man

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (povol @ Jun 30 2009, 08:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Im not sure he has the style to be a winner in GP but he is an animal on a Superbike. What would he be worth to Yamaha come contract time.You can bet someone is going to have to pony up this time around. I wouldnt mind seeing him stay forever in WSBK and rewritting the record books. Of course at this pace, he could go off to GP for a couple of years and if that didnt pan out, he could come back and resume the ... kickings and still get the records.

I agree with you.
I would love to see him stay in WSBK and flip the bird to the unwatchable, uncompetitive Euro jockey fest that has become MotoGP.
If he was to jump ship to MotoGP (which he will) and he was unable to win at that level than it only makes the MotoGp series less relevant.
If the best SBK rider to come along in some time was unable to win in MotoGP because the bike
was too small or his non 250 style rendered him incapable of competing amongs't those types of riders, than surely it shows that MGP has gone down a path that is no longer showcasing the best
rider talent in the world.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JohnnyKnockdown @ Jul 2 2009, 05:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>If the best SBK rider to come along in some time was unable to win in MotoGP because the bike
was too small or his non 250 style rendered him incapable of competing amongs't those types of riders, than surely it shows that MGP has gone down a path that is no longer showcasing the best
rider talent in the world.

If Spies goes to motogp and can't win it will show that he has gone down the wrong path, or isn't the best talent in the world. Not that motogp is broken.

Spies is kicking ... week in and week out. If not for some technical problems in a couple of races he would be already leading the championship, despite a couple of crashes. I think right now he is better than most on the motogp grid so certainly deserves a gig.

Well Haga got the double on the Nurburgring last year with a cracked collarbone, he always does excellent on Magne Cour, he'll see Imola as sort of his home circuit and on Portimao his bike broke down both races i believe.
So it's gonna be a very interesting season finale.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Arrabbiata1 @ Jul 1 2009, 04:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>With all due respect Sacky, the guy has this extraordinary technique/capacity for learning new circuits. He say's that he finds it easier to attack it from the first session, run off where necessary and push to find the limits very early on. This seems to have been vindicated by his outstanding results on some of the more technical circuits - Phillip Island, Valencia (forget the crash), Donington, Assen.

So what's left? Brno - admittedly, Haga and Fabi own the place, Nürburgring, Imola, Magny-Cours and Portimão. Spies will LOVE Portimão - I predict a double - especially if the championship goes down to the wire. Nürburgring - some of the high speed turns suit the Ducati, but another very technical track that Spies will love to crack. Can you seriously see him struggle at Imola? - but again Fabi and Haga will be very strong. Magny Cours...anyone's guess.
To add this this, doesn't Spies have some Portimão track knowledge thanks to the winter testing?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mjpartyboy @ Jul 2 2009, 10:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>To add this this, doesn't Spies have some Portimão track knowledge thanks to the winter testing?
Indeed he does, nearly everyone in WSBK did some testing there last year during the winter. It's where Byrne really shined and gave everyone hope that he was going to be fast, unfortunately it's taken over half the season to see it from him. Portimão is a cool track, great place to finish up the season, I hope things come down to the last race.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (baldylocks @ Jul 1 2009, 04:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>not one of em could even put up a reasonable fight let alone beat Ben on a track he'd only ridden on his playstation


He rode Donington last year on a Suzuki in MOTOGP

Personally, I am glad he didn't go to MotoGP with Suzuki this year. People wouldn't have been able to see how fast he truly is.

Is John Hopkins faster than what he has shown? We will never know, because he gave his body trying to stay loyal to a Suzuki that kept throwing him down the track.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cankles @ Jul 2 2009, 08:45 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Personally, I am glad he didn't go to MotoGP with Suzuki this year. People wouldn't have been able to see how fast he truly is.

Is John Hopkins faster than what he has shown? We will never know, because he gave his body trying to stay loyal to a Suzuki that kept throwing him down the track.

Suzuki didn't ruin him, Kawasaki did

By the time he races, Ben will have seen both Imola and Portimao. Brno was resurfaced last year and features in multiple video games, so a double podium or better is likely. I don't think any rookie has won at Nurburgring, that will hold. It's an F1 circuit. Magny Cours is a toss up.

Ben wins the chamionship by 3 points!

Brno +12
1 Biaggi, Fabrizio, Spies, Nakano, Haga, Hopkins
2 Biaggi, Spies, Fabrizio, Nakano, Hopkins, Haga

Nurburgring -13
Haga, Biaggi, Spies, Fabrizio
Haga, Spies, Haslam, Fabrizio

Imola +13
Spies, Haslam, Haga
Spies, Haga, Biaggi

Magny Cours -5
Biaggi, Spies, Haga
Haga, Biaggi, Spies

Portimao +10
Spies, Haga, Biaggi
Spies, Biaggi, Hopkins

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JohnnyKnockdown @ Jul 1 2009, 11:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I would love to see him stay in WSBK and flip the bird to the unwatchable, uncompetitive Euro jockey fest that has become MotoGP.
If he was to jump ship to MotoGP (which he will) and he was unable to win at that level than <span style="font-family:Impactit only makes the MotoGp series less relevant.
If the best SBK rider to come along in some time was unable to win in MotoGP because the bike
was too small or his non <span style="font-family:Impact250 style rendered him incapable of competing amongs't <span style="font-family:Impactthose types of riders, than surely it shows that MGP has gone down a path that is <span style="font-family:Impactno longer showcasing the best
rider talent in the world.
rubish. you know this argument is ridiculous. rossi is an average size guy. as is colin edwards, sete gibernau& chris vermulen. hayden is not all that small & stoner & lorenzo are just a little skinnier than him. pedrosa & biaggi are the true midgets & how have they done? you actually think that if spies struggles that it means that the talent in gps is no longer the best? damn johnny pull yer head out man!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SackWack @ Jul 2 2009, 04:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Suzuki didn't ruin him, Kawasaki did

Suzuki ruined him, Kawasaki finished him off.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (clarkjw @ Jul 2 2009, 09:05 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>By the time he races, Ben will have seen both Imola and Portimao. Brno was resurfaced last year and features in multiple video games, so a double podium or better is likely. I don't think any rookie has won at Nurburgring, that will hold. It's an F1 circuit. Magny Cours is a toss up.

Ben wins the chamionship by 3 points!

Brno +12
1 Biaggi, Fabrizio, Spies, Nakano, Haga, Hopkins
2 Biaggi, Spies, Fabrizio, Nakano, Hopkins, Haga

Nurburgring -13
Haga, Biaggi, Spies, Fabrizio
Haga, Spies, Haslam, Fabrizio

Imola +13
Spies, Haslam, Haga
Spies, Haga, Biaggi

Magny Cours -5
Biaggi, Spies, Haga
Haga, Biaggi, Spies

Portimao +10
Spies, Haga, Biaggi
Spies, Biaggi, Hopkins

WTF is Biaggi doing in all your predictions? And Nakano