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MotoGP
MOTOGP: Spies Primed For Podium Assault
Ben Spies is confident he can demonstrate his true potential this weekend at Aragon.
Factory Yamaha Racing's Ben Spies (Photo: Yamaha Racing)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: The GP of Aragon from Alcaniz, Spain will air LIVE on SPEED on Sunday, September 30 at 8:00am ET. MotoGP QP will air LIVE on SPEED2 all season long. #MotoGPonSPEED
Ben Spies is primed for an assault on his first MotoGP podium this season.
He has a bold strategy in mind for Sunday's 23-lap Aragon Grand Prix as he bids for a top-three finish.
Gone will be the caution he exercised in Misano two weeks ago when he was rebuilding his confidence following three consecutive DNFs -- two of them at his home races at Laguna Seca and Indianapolis.
At Misano, he qualified eighth and finished fifth with the sole aim of getting the checkered flag and scoring points.
After Saturday's qualifying at Aragon he heads the second row with the fourth fastest time, one of four Yamahas to grab a top-six starting spot.
Having signed to the satellite Pramac Ducati team for 2013, Spies feels ready to deliver the results with Yamaha that many expected of the Texan from the beginning of this year's 1000cc championship.
Having settled his future (and put aside the frustration of a string of technical issues) Spies appears set for a strong Aragon race. His best results this season have been a pair of fourth places at Assen and the Sachsenring.
It's been a long absence from the podium, 13 races, since he finished second at Valencia in the final race of 2011.
"I’ll definitely approach the race tomorrow a little bit differently than I did in Misano," Spies said.
"In Misano for the first 14 laps I was a little more cautious than normal and just wanted to get a result.
"I got into a good rhythm but it was just too late, Tomorrow hopefully I’ll have a good warm-up and start the race here with a different mindset than I did in Misano. I definitely feel more comfortable with the bike here and hopefully I can fight for the podium.”
Spies' factory teammate, Jorge Lorenzo, starts from pole, still targeting wins despite his 38-point championship cushion over Honda rival Dani Pedrosa.
The Spanish pair are expected to fight out the race with Pedrosa the man who really needs a victory in terms of the title chase. And with Honda power on tap for the long fast straights here it may well come his way.
While he has a strong race plan in mind, Spies held something back in qualifying in the day's tricky, greasy conditions, After three wet practice sessions, qualifying was dry with riders scrambling for a time set-up.
Pedrosa and the Ducati pair of Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi were all slowed by crashes in the one-hour session.
"We have a good starting position, but I don’t think we got the full potential out of the bike but with all the mistakes that were happening, it was pretty easy to crash," Spies said.
"I didn’t leave a whole lot out there but it never felt like I really attacked a full lap and nailed it down.”
Ben Spies is primed for an assault on his first MotoGP podium this season.
He has a bold strategy in mind for Sunday's 23-lap Aragon Grand Prix as he bids for a top-three finish.
Gone will be the caution he exercised in Misano two weeks ago when he was rebuilding his confidence following three consecutive DNFs -- two of them at his home races at Laguna Seca and Indianapolis.
At Misano, he qualified eighth and finished fifth with the sole aim of getting the checkered flag and scoring points.
After Saturday's qualifying at Aragon he heads the second row with the fourth fastest time, one of four Yamahas to grab a top-six starting spot.
Having signed to the satellite Pramac Ducati team for 2013, Spies feels ready to deliver the results with Yamaha that many expected of the Texan from the beginning of this year's 1000cc championship.
Having settled his future (and put aside the frustration of a string of technical issues) Spies appears set for a strong Aragon race. His best results this season have been a pair of fourth places at Assen and the Sachsenring.
It's been a long absence from the podium, 13 races, since he finished second at Valencia in the final race of 2011.
"I’ll definitely approach the race tomorrow a little bit differently than I did in Misano," Spies said.
"In Misano for the first 14 laps I was a little more cautious than normal and just wanted to get a result.
"I got into a good rhythm but it was just too late, Tomorrow hopefully I’ll have a good warm-up and start the race here with a different mindset than I did in Misano. I definitely feel more comfortable with the bike here and hopefully I can fight for the podium.”
Spies' factory teammate, Jorge Lorenzo, starts from pole, still targeting wins despite his 38-point championship cushion over Honda rival Dani Pedrosa.
The Spanish pair are expected to fight out the race with Pedrosa the man who really needs a victory in terms of the title chase. And with Honda power on tap for the long fast straights here it may well come his way.
While he has a strong race plan in mind, Spies held something back in qualifying in the day's tricky, greasy conditions, After three wet practice sessions, qualifying was dry with riders scrambling for a time set-up.
Pedrosa and the Ducati pair of Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi were all slowed by crashes in the one-hour session.
"We have a good starting position, but I don’t think we got the full potential out of the bike but with all the mistakes that were happening, it was pretty easy to crash," Spies said.
"I didn’t leave a whole lot out there but it never felt like I really attacked a full lap and nailed it down.”
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