Texan to join fellow Lone Star Statesman Colin Edwards at Monster Tech 3 Yamaha team
In what was a wild-rumored but still somewhat expected considering the ambiguity of previous announcements when the company revealed that current World Superbike rider Ben Spies has signed for two more years, Yamaha announced today that Spies will actually move directly to MotoGP next year , instead of living in the World Superbike series for one year before making the move to the Premier class in 2011. Spies will be joined by fellow Texan Colin Edwards of Tech 3 Yamaha Monster team, replacing former World Superbike champion James Toseland, who will take Spies' place in the squad WSBK Yamaha. The spies' old crew chief Tom Houseworth and mechanic Greg Wood will also make a move together with Spies to MotoGP.
"I want to thank Yamaha globally because of their faith in me," said Spies. "They've treated me like a king! Yamaha recently allowed me to rethink my contract for 2010-2011; I sign for the WSB for 2010, but after I started thinking about Indy competition and my age versus waiting until 2011. This is not an easy decision, Yamaha World Superbike team and crew has been especially Massimo Meregalli was fantastic and very pleasant to be included in one season together. I hope that I can give May, Laurens Klein Koerkamp and others to remember the championship this year with me. Thank I love also extends to the 'Infront', promoters of WSB series, especially Paolo Ciabatti. I've enjoyed the series and this first year racing in Europe. Now I have two challenges, to finish this year provides the best and to move toward goal - new goals in MotoGP. Herve Poncharal at Tech 3 is to show support by allowing me to come on board with my crew chief Tom Houseworth and Gregory Wood, my mechanic, who have both been with me since the AMA today. We will have a learning curve to overcome next year but I woke up to a new purpose. I hope to have a good year and my goal is to try and stay on top of 6-8, considering the talented line up, will be difficult. With the world upside down, there is one constant for me and that's Yamaha. "
Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing, will see Spies' move as a preventive measure for the year 2011, when the second contract Fiat Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo ended. "Following the announcement of Ben's two-year deal with Yamaha one month ago, he has re-elect him and decided that he wanted to move to MotoGP sooner rather than later," said Jarvis. "Yamaha has considered the request and with Tech 3, we can find a way to make it happen. Ben has done a fantastic job in rookie season in World Superbike and now we are very excited to welcome him to the GP program faster than we expected originally . We believe that Ben would be a quick study next season and a strong future championship competitors. We look forward to working with him in the years to come. "
Toseland's moved back to the World Superbike has been estimated, as a result has been sub-par for the two British riders in the MotoGP season. Meanwhile, the current team Edwards has consistently out-performing him, with a much publicized spat between the two because of Toseland's "poaching" Edwards' former crew chief this year and increase the American motivation in the team's increasing tension. With Spies take place, it would bet that the wall separating the two Monster Tech 3 Yamaha rider (as well as the factory Fiat Yamaha team) will be taken down.
source : http://www.sportrider.com/news/146_0910_spies_to_motogp_in_2010/index.html
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