Spies heading to Yamaha world Superbike in 2009
Talented American aiming to restore some American prideAfter months of intrigue, the official announcement of rider line-ups in the 2009 Superbike World Championship is now on in earnest, with the latest bombshell that of American Ben Spies joining the Yamaha factory team.
The prodigiously talented 24-year-old has won the past three AMA Superbike titles on a Suzuki, and it was widely expected he would go MotoGP racing next year after three impressive wildcard outings in 2008, with a best finish of sixth at Indianapolis.
Instead, Spies will kickstart on his full-time world championship career in Superbikes, partnering 23-year-old British rider Tom Sykes in a revamped Yamaha equip.
“I’m very excited about joining Yamaha in World Superbike,” Spies said. “This is a positive step for the direction of my career. I’ll have a great opportunity to race on many of the top road racing circuits in the world. Riding with a company as passionate about racing as Yamaha is going to put me in a good position to contest for a world championship right from the start.”
“Superbike racing originated in America, but it’s been a while since we’ve had an American world champion. There’s a great tradition of American riders in World Superbike and I hope to put my name alongside great champions like Fred Merkel, Doug Polen, Scott Russell, John Kocinski and Colin Edwards.”
In other world Superbike news, recently crowned British Superbike champion Shane Byrne will join Ducati’s leading privateer team, Sterilgarda, in 2009, while compatriot Jonathan Rea will move up to Superbike on a Honda.
Rea is currently running second in the world Supersport title behind Australian Andrew Pitt, with the penultimate round to be held in France this weekend.
Australian Troy Corser has already announced he’s leaving Yamaha to race the all-new BMW four-cylinder machine in 2009, with his current teammate Noriyuki Haga set to replace the retiring Bayliss in the factory Ducati team.
Max Biaggi is also on the move, leaving Sterilgarda to head up Aprilia’s world Superbike assault with its all-new V-four machine.
Bayliss is on track to win his third world title this weekend, currently holding a massive 79-point lead over Corser.
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