BEN SPIES

PERSONAL DETAILS

NAME:	BEN SPIES
TEAM:
NATIONALITY:	AMERICAN
DATE OF BIRTH:	11 JULY 1984
MARRIED:	SINGLE

FIRST FULL MOTOGP SEASON IN 2010

WINS:

0

POLES:

0

FASTEST LAPS:

0

DEBUT:	GREAT BRITAIN (2008)
DRIVEN FOR:	RIZLA SUZUKI (2008), YAMAHA STERILGARDA (2009), MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3 (2010)

CAREER

Despite making his MotoGP debut, as a stand-in/wild-card rider at Rizla Suzuki, back in 2008, it has taken Ben Spies until 2010 to secure a full time ride in motorcycling’s premier-class.

A triple AMA Superbike champion for Suzuki, Spies looked set to progress with the brand into MotoGP after finishing 14th, eighth and sixth during his three 2008 MotoGP rides for the team. But a deal for 2009 never happened and Spies instead signed with Yamaha for the World Superbike Championship.

Suzuki soon realised the size of the talent they had passed over as Spies took pole for his very first WSBK race, then won race two of round one. By the end of the season Spies had won 14 of the 28 races, but only took the title from Ducati’s Noriyuki Haga at the very final round, due to mechanical problems and accidents that left him with five non-scores.

Although it was initially announced that Spies would stay for a second season in WSBK before moving to MotoGP with Yamaha, that was later revised and Spies was announced as riding alongside fellow Texan Colin Edwards at the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team for 2010, in place of James Toseland.

Spies got an early taste of Yamaha MotoGP machinery with a wild-card ride at the final 2009 round in Valencia, where he qualified ninth and finished seventh.

Spies starts 2010 as the overwhelming favourite for the rookie of the year title and is tipped to be a podium threat sooner rather than later.

Posted in: Moto GP,Motor,Olah Raga,Rider