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MotoGP
MOTOGP: Spies To Leave Yamaha For ‘New Chapter’ in ‘13
Where will Ben Spies be in 2013? Just about every option -- other than a return to Yamaha -- seems to be on the table now that he's made public his decision to move on.
Yamaha Factory Racing's Ben Spies (Photo: Yamaha Racing)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: The Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix from Laguna Seca will air on SPEED on Sunday, July 29th at 6:00pm ET. Qualifying will air on SPEED on Saturday, July 28 at 11:00pm ET and free practice will air on SPEED2 Friday, July 27 at 5:10pm ET. #MotoGPonSPEED
Following weeks of speculation concerning his future with the official Yamaha Factory Racing team, Ben Spies looks to have made the decision to exit himself.
Following a disastrous start to what was expected to be his arrival as a legitimate MotoGP World Championship contender, his second year with the works Yamaha outfit and the series' first on the new-generation 1000s, Spies' possibilities now seem wide open as he's confirmed his decision to move on.
First teasing a switch on his Twitter feed on Sunday and then confirming the news via an e-mail published at SuperbikePlanet.com, Spies appears to be voluntarily walking away from one of the four most coveted seats in MotoGP -- a seat he was strongly rumored to be in good position to retain despite his disappointing results.
Currently there are only six factory seats in MotoGP. Three are already confirmed for 2013 (Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez at Repsol Honda and Jorge Lorenzo at Yamaha), one he's leaving, and the other two appear overbooked and not overly fancied (Ducati where Valentino Rossi, Cal Crutchlow, and Nicky Hayden are all in play).
MotoGP is also a series where no satellite rider has won since before the dawn of the 800cc era, and while things are considerably more even this season, at least at Yamaha, 2012 is likely an aberration with the old balance of power expected to resurface in 2013 when the support-spec bikes once again slip to year-old specification.
Whether Spies will slip in the backdoor at Ducati, convince a factory to supply him works equipment in a satellite garage, willingly accept second-tier equipment, or maybe even reunite with Suzuki in its expected (eventual) MotoGP return remains to be see.
Or perhaps Spies is set for a return to World Superbike (BMW may be an option), widely considered a friendlier environment and a battleground that, in Spies' own words, still rewards rider skill over engineering superiority.
Or maybe even a shock return to AMA Superbike where he would resume the unfinished business of his boyhood dream to become the all-time winningest rider in AMA Pro history.
Or perhaps the Texan is simply burnt out on professional motorcycle racing altogether and would rather spend his time pursuing his passion of bicycling.
Like I said, just about every option seems to be on the table for the increasingly enigmatic Ben Spies. Expect more details shortly.
SPEED.com Motorcycle Racing Editor Chris Martin saw Eddie Lawson win aboard a Kawasaki the first time he attended an AMA Superbike race and witnessed Ben Bostrom win a World Superbike race aboard a V&H Ducati the first time he worked one. He has written about AMA SBK, WSBK, and MotoGP for SPEED.com since 2003. Chris is now on Twitter.
Following weeks of speculation concerning his future with the official Yamaha Factory Racing team, Ben Spies looks to have made the decision to exit himself.
Following a disastrous start to what was expected to be his arrival as a legitimate MotoGP World Championship contender, his second year with the works Yamaha outfit and the series' first on the new-generation 1000s, Spies' possibilities now seem wide open as he's confirmed his decision to move on.
First teasing a switch on his Twitter feed on Sunday and then confirming the news via an e-mail published at SuperbikePlanet.com, Spies appears to be voluntarily walking away from one of the four most coveted seats in MotoGP -- a seat he was strongly rumored to be in good position to retain despite his disappointing results.
Currently there are only six factory seats in MotoGP. Three are already confirmed for 2013 (Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez at Repsol Honda and Jorge Lorenzo at Yamaha), one he's leaving, and the other two appear overbooked and not overly fancied (Ducati where Valentino Rossi, Cal Crutchlow, and Nicky Hayden are all in play).
MotoGP is also a series where no satellite rider has won since before the dawn of the 800cc era, and while things are considerably more even this season, at least at Yamaha, 2012 is likely an aberration with the old balance of power expected to resurface in 2013 when the support-spec bikes once again slip to year-old specification.
Whether Spies will slip in the backdoor at Ducati, convince a factory to supply him works equipment in a satellite garage, willingly accept second-tier equipment, or maybe even reunite with Suzuki in its expected (eventual) MotoGP return remains to be see.
Or perhaps Spies is set for a return to World Superbike (BMW may be an option), widely considered a friendlier environment and a battleground that, in Spies' own words, still rewards rider skill over engineering superiority.
Or maybe even a shock return to AMA Superbike where he would resume the unfinished business of his boyhood dream to become the all-time winningest rider in AMA Pro history.
Or perhaps the Texan is simply burnt out on professional motorcycle racing altogether and would rather spend his time pursuing his passion of bicycling.
Like I said, just about every option seems to be on the table for the increasingly enigmatic Ben Spies. Expect more details shortly.
SPEED.com Motorcycle Racing Editor Chris Martin saw Eddie Lawson win aboard a Kawasaki the first time he attended an AMA Superbike race and witnessed Ben Bostrom win a World Superbike race aboard a V&H Ducati the first time he worked one. He has written about AMA SBK, WSBK, and MotoGP for SPEED.com since 2003. Chris is now on Twitter.
Grand Prix of The France
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