Ben Spies Ducati Moto GP

[sqweak]

don't count on corse being full for '09...

i've heard that melandri is already out at ducati and it wouldn't surprise me one bit to see him and nicky swap seats for '09.

I'm just going off Livio Suppo via the MCN article in the OP

Spies will certainly figure on a list of candidates for the satellite team, according to Suppo, who told MCN: “I know his manager and sometimes we speak and he told me that Ben was looking for a ride but I told him that we have two riders already for next year.

[derby]

I'm just going off Livio Suppo via the MCN article in the OP

ya, but "full" with who? 

[mikeb]

suzuki is the "obvious" choice for him, but nobody has really impressed on that bike.

hopefully he ends up on a competitive bike (yamaha) instead of something else.

If he ends up on the Suzuki he'll be the next Hopper. 

I'd hate to see that happen to Spies. 

[desmoquattro]

don't count on corse being full for '09...
...
they've offered nicky the ride once, why wouldn't they offer it to him again?

Probably because the sky would fall, pigs would fly, and the seven demons of Hell(TM) would be unleashed on the world if Ducati didn't have an Italian rider on its factory GP team 

...or at least that's the way the Italians see it 

It'd definitely be interesting to see Boomhauer Nicky on the D16 though.

[gm2]

It'd definitely be interesting to see Boomhauer Nicky on the D16 though.

too bad they don't run that bike then.  =)

[derby]

http://superbikeplanet.com/2008/May/080531g.htm

[ZLTFUL]

I can see Spies being competitive in WSBK...but MotoGP? Unlikely he will be nothing more than the next also ran. Just my humble opinion though.

[derby]

I can see Spies being competitive in WSBK...but MotoGP? Unlikely he will be nothing more than the next also ran. Just my humble opinion though.

is this because you've only seen him ride superbikes or because of nicky's gp experience?

[gm2]

I can see Spies being competitive in WSBK...but MotoGP? Unlikely he will be nothing more than the next also ran. Just my humble opinion though.

did you see the times he ran on the gsv in testing last year?

[ZLTFUL]

Have you seen the competition he has run against in AMA?
Put him on a superior bike and get him in front of the pack and I will admit he can do some great things. But MotoGP packs are wolves all trying to be the Alpha...AMA packs...some Labs fighting over a pound of hamburger. There just isn't the inspirational riding in AMA classes anymore. Even watching British SBK races etc are worlds above the competition levels the AMA top classes seem to show.

Looking back, Nicky had some great battles with the Bostroms, with Mladin, etc. But the Kid hasn't won a MotoGP race since 2006...
I just don't think the AMA prepares riders for a class like MotoGP anymore. It does give them a good head of steam for WSBK though. Running the same tracks with "friendly" crowds that you have raced in front of most or your life makes a huge difference when they suddenly dump you into a world wide series with RABID fans. That plays alot on the mind when you are out there trying to qualify in front of fans who don't know you, could care less about you, and have absolutely no desire to root for you over their countrymen...

Nicky overcame that in his championship season and gave inspirational performances...but he has fallen off greatly, sad to say.

[derby]

with the exception of mladin, you're right about the competition in the AMA. the problem is, mladin is a tough nut to crack.

mat's got a collection of 6 ama superbike championships that's only been interrupted by two people: nicky hayden and spies.

british superbike is insane. i used to love the british rounds of the world superbike championship when the bsb wildcards would bang bars with the regulars. the only other ferocious wildcards were japan's all japan championship racers.

fwiw, the ama superbike series has NEVER prepared anybody for gp classes. the traditional gp-feeder has been the smaller gp classes. there have been exceptions, though.

i think nicky's recent "falling off" has more to do with equipment and team dynamics than lack of heart.

[sqweak]

Nicky overcame that in his championship season and gave inspirational performances...but he has fallen off greatly, sad to say.

You're missing the part of the equation that's changed since 2006- the bike.  It's been no secret that even while Nicky was in the hunt for the title, his team was busy favoring his spanish teammate for their spanish sponsor in a spanish run series.  When they moved to the 800, it favored Pedrobot completely and there has been 0 movement from HRC to develop the bike for him.  He needs the power to slide the bike around like he did in 06, that's his style, and it's just not there.

[derby]

You're missing the part of the equation that's changed since 2006- the bike.  It's been no secret that even while Nicky was in the hunt for the title, his team was busy favoring his spanish teammate for their spanish sponsor in a spanish run series.  When they moved to the 800, it favored Pedrobot completely and there has been 0 movement from HRC to develop the bike for him.  He needs the power to slide the bike around like he did in 06, that's his style, and it's just not there.

not to mention honda even admitted to "going the wrong direction" in the design of the rc212v by not engineering it for the high cornerspeed style required by the 800s.

[ducpainter]

with the exception of mladin, you're right about the competition in the AMA. the problem is, mladin is a tough nut to crack.

mat's got a collection of 6 ama superbike championships that's only been interrupted by two people: nicky hayden and spies.

<snip>

...and as talented as Mladin may be....

I can't watch AMA because of him

[derby]

...and as talented as Mladin may be....

I can't watch AMA because of him

i'm surprised you can't tolerate it enough to watch ben go through the grind it beat mat. fontana race 2 was just silly.