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Ben Spies Explains Switch To Ducati

Discussion in 'Front Page Articles' started by Ducati News, Jan 5, 2013.

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    Ben Spies had, in all accounts including his own, an awful 2012. Indeed, when the clock ticked over into 2013 he must have been relieved as anyone to see the back of the previous year and look forward to a new start in his professional life. Back in September it was announced that Spies would make the switch from Yamaha to Ducati however the exact reasons behind it were slightly blurred; everyone knew that he wasn't having be best time with the Japanese giants and his performance on the track was disappointing however the extent of his, and Yamaha’s for that matter, dissatisfaction was unknown.

    That is until he decided to speak out this week and explain why he made the switch to Ducati; new year, new start. The Memphis born racer made his MotoGP debut in 2009 at Valencia when he was included as a wildcard for Yamaha and enjoyed a semi-successful time with the team. After a relatively slow start to life with Yamaha (he crashed out at Estoril, Jerez and at the British Grand Prix) his first podium finish came at Assen in the same year. It invigorated and kick started his Yamaha and MotoGP career as he finished in the top 5 for the next 5 consecutive races and his third podium finish of the year came at the Indianapolis Grand Prix. So where did it start to go wrong for the 28 year old with Yamaha?It all started with food poisoning. Well, to be exact, this was more of the final straw as opposed to the beginning of the end however the events in Mugello gave Spies a moment of lucidity that made him realise his future lay away from Yamaha.
    The fact that he was physically unable to race properly should have been enough to convince his team that he was in no state to get on a bike; indeed, a senior Yamaha employee told him that he shouldn't got to Laguna Seca if he wasn’t 100% however it was the words after that Spies points to which made him make up his mind: “We’ve lost confidence in you.”In fact, Spies and Yamaha in general could point to a preposterous catalogue of bad events that beset the whole team over the 2012 season: blistered and chunked tires, blown engines, fried clutches, rear suspension failure and overheated brakes all contributed to poor showings on the track.
    The American admitted that Ducati were one of the first to try and lure him away from Yamaha however he kept his options open for a while. The takeover of Ducati by Audi meant that he was unsure of how he would fit into the team or what they could offer him and other suitors – including BMW – were soon on the chase as well. So, what made him choose Ducati in the end?

    Spies admits that the period between deciding to leave Yamaha and going to Ducati was one of the hardest he has faced. He felt that he had unfinished business with MotoGP and that he had not reached his expected potential and, even though the BMW offer in World Superbike was tempting, the desire to succeed and stay in MotoGP plus the package and offer that Ducati put to him was enough to convince him to sign on with the Italians.

    In fact, getting Ben Spies on board further emphasized Ducati’s commitment to the MotoGP considering that they had already got Nicky Hayden as well as Andrea Dovizioso for the 2013 season. The last 12 months have not been easy to Spies however now that he is part of a group that has faith in him and, perhaps more importantly, he is optimistic about and looking forward to his own future, then surely great things lie ahead.

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