Spies is gone from Yamaha at the end of 2012

[VFR]

I think "where we are meant to be" he meant WSBK not Suzuki GP....Just my .02

[FZjake719]

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2012/L...w+USA+preevent

interesting read...

[The Black Knight]

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2012/L...w+USA+preevent

interesting read...

My honest opinion is this sure looks like a good opening for Rossi. It would be good to have Rossi back because he still is fast and hungry to win again. I had a gut feeling Rossi would be coming back to the tuning forks.

[FZjake719]

I know, I was supersad when Rossi left Yamaha. It would be great to see him back on the M1 again. BUT, there were also rumors that Rossi honestly did NOT want to leave Ducati, as little as a month ago.... Then again, MGP strikes me as a "fly by the seat of your pants" organization anyway, so really who knows!! haha

[JustSomeDude]

I think "where we are meant to be" he meant WSBK not Suzuki GP....Just my .02

+1

SBP is guessing he's out of MotoGP for good as well...

The fallout will take time to settle from the mushroom cloud surrounding Ben Spies' announcement Monday that he is leaving the Yamaha Factory Racing team and presumably MotoGP after this season.

...

We spoke to Ben Spies for exactly 41 seconds yesterday on a bad cell phone call. One of the few things he said that we could make out of the garbling: "sick of it".

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2012/Jul/1207259i1.htm

[kawasakirob]

^ well I suppose it's time now for Schwantz to chime in and tell him so stop whining and talking bad about the series that gave him so much

[mcarthd26]

^ well I suppose it's time now for Schwantz to chime in and tell him so stop whining and talking bad about the series that gave him so much

Yeah because he has no right to an opinion and also has no experience in the same profession at the same level. Oh wait... I love when people that have no relevant experience or knowledge don't like what someone had to say.
For clarification I loved when he called out the whiny little bitch Stoner. It's called having some class and maturity, something that seems lacking from these two riders. He is 100% correct. Is their anyone on this forum who wouldn't swap positions with these two spoiled brats? They make a fantastic living doing what they love at the highest level.
I understand that it's not perfect or easy and "the media and fans picked on them".
Boo hoo save the everyone's against me and they are ruining the sport bullshit to family and friends. Having an opportunity to ride in GP is an unbelievable gift bestowed to a very small group. If you have lost your passion for it, fine leave with some class. Say thanks to those that helped you and say it's time to focus on family. Blaming the sport for changing to entertain those that watch.... well that's just stoner and now spies.

[JustSomeDude]

Yeah because he has no right to an opinion and also has no experience in the same profession at the same level. Oh wait... I love when people that have no relevant experience or knowledge don't like what someone had to say.
For clarification I loved when he called out the whiny little bitch Stoner. It's called having some class and maturity, something that seems lacking from these two riders. He is 100% correct. Is their anyone on this forum who wouldn't swap positions with these two spoiled brats? They make a fantastic living doing what they love at the highest level.
I understand that it's not perfect or easy and "the media and fans picked on them".
Boo hoo save the everyone's against me and they are ruining the sport bullshit to family and friends. Having an opportunity to ride in GP is an unbelievable gift bestowed to a very small group. If you have lost your passion for it, fine leave with some class. Say thanks to those that helped you and say it's time to focus on family. Blaming the sport for changing to entertain those that watch.... well that's just stoner and now spies.

In all fairness, the 500cc era Schwanz ran in was a completely different type of racing. It's like comparing the NFL of the 60s to the NFL today. Electronics, technological breakthroughs, and a complete shift in engine types has made 500cc Grand Prix racing a distant memory.

While Schwanz is an insanely talented racer, he has never competed in this era, and has no more experience than any other trackside reporter.

[mcarthd26]

In all fairness, the 500cc era Schwanz ran in was a completely different type of racing. It's like comparing the NFL of the 60s to the NFL today. Electronics, technological breakthroughs, and a complete shift in engine types has made 500cc Grand Prix racing a distant memory.

While Schwanz is an insanely talented racer, he has never competed in this era, and has no more experience than any other trackside reporter.

I understand what you are getting at, but I think you've made a point that really doesn't address what I said. However, you could certainly say that MotoGP riders are under a much larger microscope, 24 hr news cycle etc.
Stoner and now Spies both understood that MotoGP is a self described "circus" well before they entered the big ring. It's appalling to me having read Ring of Fire and other sources about the inside of GP and what it takes to get there. Stoner and his family sacrificed everything to get him into GP. The battles he had to go through to get there were immense. I know less about Spies journey but I can only imagine it was not easy. So when they get to GP have successes, failures and the corresponding media/fan attention for both... it's part of it. MotoGP is a business based on selling motorcycles primarily, petroleum products, potato chips, porn mags, etc. Part of this business is the riders (public face for the companies that pay their salaries) talking with media (to be disseminated to the fans) and occasionally even the fans themselves.

Hard to believe but not everyone is going to like you, not everyone is going to support your efforts, or they may even root against you. Journalists might themselves be Italian, Spanish, Rossi fans, uninformed, and even mean. Life is not fair, for anyone, it's how you deal with it. Stoner whines about anything that doesn't involve him riding all by himself on a track in a time trial on a PERFECT bike. No other riders, no fans, no sponsors, no practice and without a doubt the best bike set up just for him. The rules should be set by him and if it's boring to watch and no sponsors are involved because no one watches, it's perfect. Anytime someone makes an attempt (and a lot of horrible choices by DORNA and the factories are poor attempts) to make it more exciting for the fans (and therefore profitable for factories and sponsors) it's "ruining the sport." What Schwantz expected was someone that has Stoner's talent and accomplishments to walk away without attacking the exact thing that made him NEVER HAVE TO WORK ANOTHER DAY IN HIS LIFE. When Jordan retired he never said, "the NBA is a joke now, all the young players have all these tattoos and David Stern is a moron and has ruined the game."

From the early rumblings I think it's most likely that if Spies continues to "give Yamaha the middle finger" because they were going to replace him with people that are consistently outperforming him. The reasons are primarily going to be centered around Stoner's I hate DORNA and their rule changes, but more personally for him... he is the #2 rider at Yamaha. First, he knew before he signed that he was going to be #2. What this means is he isn't there to win a championship, he is there to finish second in the championship and support Lorenzo. Most important is supporting Lorenzo, so he might be a test bed for new parts, the bike is developed for Lorenzo, and he might not get the support that he wants. I can imagine for someone with his pedigree this would be a hard pill to swallow. But he isn't the first rider to be in this position, he's not even the first American in the last 5 years. Ask his friend Colin (my favorite rider) or Nicky, both have spent most of their time in GP in this exact position for Rossi. Occasionally you would hear them complain about it, not often and never loudly. They didn't come into GP as slouches, Colin has more WSBK titles, Nicky has a GP title. They have class and I believe and many former riders/champions feel the same way (Schwantz isn't alone) that it's the way a mature adult would handle the same situation.

Oh and I think that if you've ever watched the 500's race you would believe the same that I do, it was a hell of a lot more difficult to ride a two-stroke at the limit than it ever will be today's machinery.

[FZjake719]

"
Sure, some media members will claim Spies is bolting because he has lost his way on a prototype bike. They'll point to his 10th-place position in the points and his best finish of only fourth this season. They'll say such freak occurrences as a broken helmet visor, bad rear tire, broken sub-frame and food poisoning weren't the residue of bad luck.
And they would all be wrong.
Spies has been a race winner, series champion or Rookie of the Year on a 1000cc Superbike or an 800cc Grand Prix bike every year from 2005 through 2011. That includes three consecutive AMA Superbike Championships against a bad ass named Mat Mladin, a Superbike World Championship as a rookie in 2009, MotoGP Rookie of the Year honors in 2010 and a dominant MotoGP race victory in 2011.
That's not luck, folks. That's talent. Raw speed.
And the wheels don't fall off the wagon that quickly. Especially when you're 28 years old, in your physical and mental prime."

THIS

I'm honestly super disappointed he's leaving Yamaha(I bleed blue and white), adn even more disappointed there's now talk of him leaving the series. I've been a fan of Spies in some shape or form since he was in AMA duking it out with Mladin. Even though, in those days AMA was severely Suzuki heavy, it was still an absolute pleasure watching him ride, and quite honestly always has been. In 2k9, when he took his WSBK championship, he clearly showed his true colors and skill level. Duking it out with Haga and Biaggi week after week, two races at a time is by no means an easy task.

You talk also, of his character, or seemingly "lack thereof", and even go as far as comparing him to Stoner. Are you kidding? Until this point, where he's obviously been pushed past his breaking point, when have you ever heard him complain, blame other people, or give even the most remote hint of being a self centered whiney Stoner-ish sportsman? (**crickets**)

Spies has always been super laid back, extremely thankful, and taken the responsibility for every mistake he's made, while at the same time giving credit for his successes to his team and those around him. You're entitled to your opinions, sure. But you cant honestly say Spies is anything other than a true sportsman, humble and talented. He just got pushed a tad to far, and like he said, is "sick of it".

Poke the nicest dog in the world with a stick enough, and it'll show you its teeth.

[kawasakirob]

"
You talk also, of his character, or seemingly "lack thereof", and even go as far as comparing him to Stoner. Are you kidding? Until this point, where he's obviously been pushed past his breaking point, when have you ever heard him complain, blame other people, or give even the most remote hint of being a self centered whiney Stoner-ish sportsman? (**crickets**)

Spies has always been super laid back, extremely thankful, and taken the responsibility for every mistake he's made, while at the same time giving credit for his successes to his team and those around him. You're entitled to your opinions, sure. But you cant honestly say Spies is anything other than a true sportsman, humble and talented. He just got pushed a tad to far, and like he said, is "sick of it".

Poke the nicest dog in the world with a stick enough, and it'll show you its teeth.

Exactly
-----on a separate note------
what I was getting at with my Schwantz comment( he hasn't remarked on Spies yet... That was being sarcastic)was more along the lines of instead of criticizing these riders (who are both tremendous riders) about talking smack about the series that "gave them so much"...why dont we talk to them and try to figure out a solution for some of the reasons they are bringing up? I mean seriously. Listen to the riders. Of course (duh) some of the issues Stoner brings up are not that significant (and he's frustrated)...but others are significant. Not only are we losing Stoner...but now Ben(?)There is NO reason why Ben should leave the series. Not 1. Lose his seat...ok, lose his appetite for premeir racing...NO! What the hell is going on? People (the brass) should be talking to them 1-on-1 and listening to them (just listening) to see there point of view, wether they agree with the riders or not, and try to figure out solutions so re-occurences like these will more than likely not happen again. I stand-bye Stoner and Spies for expressing themselves openly about the series. They are fed up with the current situation, and possibly Stoner could have expressed himself differently...but when he did try to express himself differently in times past, his words fell on deaf ears...and continue to do so. These are two riders who obviously arent going to take the crap anymore. I think its a wake up call. Racing at that level, although glamorous, has to be extremelly stressful as well. IMO

[JustSomeDude]

Colin Edwards, meanwhile, provided the comedy to the press conference when he summed up the rumor-mill for 2013.

"There's a lot of speculation going on ... Valentino is going back to Yamaha with Jorge; Ben is going to train for the Tour de France; and Casey is going to call me whenever we're in the same part of the world and we're going to go hunting and fishing. So there you go."

http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/ro...othing-really/

[VFR]

LMAO...

Colin is the Dude!

[Sean]

Looks like Hayden isn't going anywhere.

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2012/H...ucati+contract

[spideyrdr]

Looks like Hayden isn't going anywhere.

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2012/H...ucati+contract

As I get ready to head out to the track, this was a great piece of news!

[kawasakirob]

[OATSF14JERRY]

Spies to BMW. Did not see that coming.

[Ted]

Spies to BMW. Did not see that coming.

Weird.... I thought i heard some announcement last week that BMW was pulling out their two factory bikes from WSBK ???

I guess one should never "misunderestimate" BMW .

[FZjake719]

Nice! As long as i can still watch Elbows ride, im good to go!

[JustSomeDude]

Looks like Rossi will be deciding his future during the break. After the Ducati performance at Laguna, I think it's safe to say he's done with them.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/101652

[Sean]

Sounds like he's blaming the tire for that race, not the bike.

[JustSomeDude]

Sounds like he's blaming the tire for that race, not the bike.

Could be - or could be standard Rossi mind-games. He's pretty smart about what he says to the media and when.

Why kick Ducati when they're down - especially if you're handing in your resignation letter in a few days?

[FZjake719]

I dont know, honestly. The Duc's seem to be the only bikes reallly abusing their tires. Granted, everyone has had tire issues this year due to the different bikes, but it seems to me Ducati is having the most trouble with them. During the Laguna race, they mentioned how slow Ducati was to make changes to the bike, and keep up in the R&D area. With Audi taking ownership of Ducati, I could see some pleasant changes coming from the Italians in the next few months/next season. Being as Rossi IS Italian, and the fact that he's always wanted to win for an Italian factory team, he just might stick it out a bit longer....

Would be EXCELLENT to see him in Yamaha Blue/white again though. For SURE!

Also, anyone watch the Laguna race and see the little interview with Colin pre-race, where he mentioned NOT going hunting and fishing with Casey? I lol'd pretty good... haha

[JustSomeDude]

Being as Rossi IS Italian, and the fact that he's always wanted to win for an Italian factory team, he just might stick it out a bit longer....

If this were 2010 or 2011, I'd totally agree with you. But seeing that Rossi has wasted almost two complete seasons trying to chase Agostini's record, I think it would take a miracle to make him stay with Ducati. The guy has to be fed up at this point, regardless of what Audi says or does. They just haven't been able to deliver.

Now - toss in the rumors of him turning down a $17M offer from Ducati, and Dovi indicating that a Yamaha/Rossi deal is almost complete, and I'd say his mind is made up. Granted, this is me coming out of 100% bullsh*t-speculation-land, and I could be totally wrong (hence the name "silly season").

Laguna was probably Rossi's attempt at being fair and giving Ducati one last chance to pony up with some real changes. However, with Preziosi still at the helm, there won't be any dramatic changes anytime soon. That dude is just set in his ways, and in my opinion, he is the biggest limiting factor for real progress at Ducati. If Rossi bails, I wouldn't be surprised if Audi cans Preziosi... he just took too long to respond to the demands of the Doctor.