Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1134532
IN THE WIND P46 Spies Contemplating Comeback? T he single-season 2009 WorldSBK Championship phenomenon that is Ben Spies was back in the paddock at Mi- sano, June 22-23, not unusual, as he has family connections in the area and spends time there each year. Despite being forced out of top-level racing by injury, Spies dallied with the idea of coming back a couple of years ago. More importantly, he is doing so again now, although he is at the very early stages of the thought process. "There is really no plan," said Spies, first recounting how he nearly came back recently. "A couple of years ago there were some mutterings about me com- ing back in MotoAmerica. That was serious, but I did not like to talk about it much, because I do not like to build everybody up. And the sponsor fell through. I actually did contact Yoshimura Suzuki, and I said let me test for superbike and see how I feel, and we can go from there. They said, 'yes,' and then they said, 'no,' for whatever reason. And then Roger retired, and I thought that was a pretty dumb decision on their part. But it is what it is." That close call caused a small spark in Spies' ideas about com- ing back, even after so many previous racing achievements. "Ever since then I've had the motivation, but I have been rid- ing dirt bikes for fun, and again my shoulder isn't perfect," admit- ted Spies. "It's in a much better way where I can manage situ- ations and things like that. The goal for me is that I would like to get together with some sort of a manufacturer, and I have two in mind, and get a street bike from them and do some track days, where it's my bike, and it's a good bike, and then I can get my speed back on the road, and if something pops up, we do it." At 34 Spies is not that old for a WorldSBK rider, although it's a long way from what Spies is talking about to doing WorldSBK again. Given his well-known aversion to flying, if he is fit and fast enough, he could race in his native USA again, in some form. And he is thinking about it again for sure. "Honestly, racing in America, I would not turn away completely," he said at Misano. "But from what I've heard, the factories are pulling out at the end of this year, and I don't know the lon- gevity of that series. I don't think that's a very good possibility, but that be the most extreme—me actually racing for a champion- ship in America. I do not see that happening at all. But, you never say never. If I get back on a bike and feel good, and start getting my speed back, then doing the 24 Le Mans, Bol d'Or, and Suzuka 8-Hour, that's totally possible. We will just see. But the first idea is to get back on a bike again and get back up to speed and then just see what happens." Gordon Ritchie Is a Ben Spies comeback in the works? We've been down this road before.