Ben Spies

How Garrett Gerloff Made The Move To WorldSBK With Yamaha

Submitted by Steve English on

With Garrett Gerloff confirmed for 2020 at GRT Yamaha a goal of MotoAmerica has been achieved; to get a rider to WorldSBK. What next for Gerloff? The challenge only starts now.

The cat is out of the bag and Garrett Gerloff has finally been confirmed as moving to WorldSBK for 2020. The Texan will join the GRT Yamaha squad and arrives highly regarded as a two-time MotoAmerica Supersport champion.

What can be expected of him however? What will be the challenges that Gerloff will face as he comes across to Europe?

When Wayne Rainey became president of MotoAmerica he stated that his goal was to get young American riders back on the world stage. The triple world champion has made no secret of the fact that this is remains his objective. For a long time Cameron Beaubier was the man expected to make the jump, but the triple domestic champion has consistently turned down opportunities to move across and continue racing at home.

However, after two years of racing a Superbike in the domestic championship Rainey now feels the time was right for Gerloff to make the switch.

Chasing the dream

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Opinion: Why Valentino Rossi Will Try To Ride At Aragon

Submitted by David Emmett on

20 days ago today, Valentino Rossi fell off an enduro bike at slow speed, breaking his tibia and fibula in the crash. That night, he had pins fitted to fix the bones, and went home the next day to recover. It looked like his championship was over. He would have to miss both Misano and Aragon, and that would put him too far behind to ever catch up.

20 days later, and Rossi has already ridden a motorcycle on track. Twice. On Monday and Tuesday, he rode a Yamaha R1M around a damp Misano. A few laps on Monday, a total of 20 laps on Tuesday. The press release Yamaha issued said that he finished the second day "with an improved feeling and a more positive impression compared to yesterday." Translation? He's going to try to ride at Aragon.

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Ben Spies Interview: Goodbye, Or See You Later?

Submitted by Mick Fialkowski on

The following interview was done by Polish MotoGP journalist and TV commentator Mick Fialkowski back in October 2013 and published in Bikesportnews in the UK amongst others. As well as writing in English, Mick writes in Polish for the website and magazine MotorMania, as well as the Polsat Sport website.

Spies is hopefully feeling better by now, but by how much, we'll probably find out next weekend as the former World Superbike Champion is set to attend his home MotoGP round at Austin, Texas, as a spectator. Can he ever come back as a rider?

With former AMA and WSBK Champ Ben Spies announcing his retirement following two horrid seasons in MotoGP, Mick Fialkowski asks him why and if he's ever coming back.

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Looking Back At 2013 - Rating The Rest: Ben Spies

Submitted by David Emmett on

In the last of our series looking back at the riders of 2013, we come to the unluckiest man on the grid. Ben Spies' season was a thing of nightmares, ending with his decision to retire. Here's a review of his year.

Ben Spies Ignite Pramac Ducati
Championship position 21st
Score Attitude 9/10, Luck 1/10

Up until Qatar 2012, Ben Spies' career had been something of a fairytale. Talent spotted by his later crew chief Tom Houseworth, he took the fight to Mat Mladin in the AMA and beat him fair and square. He won the World Superbike title at his first attempt, on tracks he hadn't seen until Friday morning practice. He grabbed two podiums in his rookie MotoGP season, then a win in his second season after moving up to the factory Yamaha team. And then it all went horribly wrong.

After a series of bizarre mechanical mishaps throughout the 2012 season, Spies suffered major shoulder damage in a crash at Sepang. He had already decided to leave the factory Yamaha team, signing with Ducati to race at Pramac. After surgery to fix the damaged tendons in his shoulder, Spies turned up at Sepang in February 2013 only to find the going tougher than expected. He skipped one day of testing, then tried to make a return three weeks later, but found himself struggling once again.

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Guest Blog - Mat Oxley: 2013 MotoGP season review (Part 2)

Submitted by Mat Oxley on

MotoMatters.com is delighted to feature the work of iconic MotoGP writer Mat Oxley. Oxley is a former racer, TT winner and highly respected author of biographies of world champions Mick Doohan and Valentino Rossi, and currently writes for Motor Sport Magazine, where he is MotoGP correspondent. We are featuring sections from Oxley's blogs, which are posted in full on the Motor Sport Magazine website.

2013 MotoGP season review (Part 2)

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MotoGP Silly Season Nearly Done: Hayden, Laverty And Espargaro Start Final Shuffle

Submitted by David Emmett on

As the 2013 MotoGP season heads into its final five races, negotiations for 2014 are coming to a head. While the seats on factory and satellite machines were filled some time ago, the next level of competitiveness, both in terms of riders and bikes, is now up for grabs.

Two names and two teams were the focal point of the negotiations, and the log jam behind which many other riders were waiting. It was up to Aleix Espargaro to make a decision on whether to stay at Aspar, or pay off his contract and head to the NGM Forward squad, and up to Nicky Hayden to decide whether his future lay in MotoGP with Aspar or Forward, or if it was time to head over to World Superbikes, and become the first rider to win a title in both series. 

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Yonny Hernandez To Replace Ben Spies For Rest Of 2013 Season

Submitted by David Emmett on

Yonny Hernandez is to replace the injured Ben Spies for the rest of the 2013 MotoGP season. So far, Spies' seat has been filled by Ducati tester Michele Pirro, but the stress of racing as well as working through a very busy test schedule has taken its toll on the young Italian. Furthermore, Pirro racing the three flyaways would have meant that testing would have ceased for the three-week duration, and with work in full swing for the 2014 season, that was not time Ducati had to lose.

Who will take Hernandez place at PBM is as yet unknown. Michael Laverty looks set to take Hernandez' ART machine for the rest of the season, while no clear favorite has yet emerged to take over the PBM Aprilia on the other side of the garage.

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