After three consecutive AMA Superbike titles and a World Superbike Championship, Spies has made the jump up to the MotoGP premier class for 2010.
Ben Spies won his first race at Pikes Peak International Raceway in 2001, aboard a Valvoline Suzuki GSXR and since then he has enjoyed a meteoric rise to stardom in the American roadracing championship. For the 2002 season the kid competed alongside Jason Pridmore in the Formula xtreme Series, which he became champion of the following year.
Spies matured into one of the top riders in the AMA paddock with the Yoshimura Suzuki team. The young Texan's talent provided the ultimate pay-off when he bested the seemingly unbeatable Mladin in 2006 for the Superbike title. He proved that title was no fluke by repeating the feat in 2007.
Ben is only the fourth rider in the history of AMA Superbike to win three consecutive titles and 3rd on the all-time AMA Superbike wins list with a total of 28 AMA Superbike wins.
Spies has raced and won the AMA Superbike Championship since 2005, and had an unrivalled 90% podium finish rate for racing, the highest for any AMA rider in the history of the championship. He took second place in his rookie year followed by the three successive championship wins. Prior to this he had a three-year stint in the AMA Supersport Championship. Spies turned pro in 2000, racing in the AMA Superstock Championship for two years before joining AMA Supersport in 2002.
Spies has also ridden in MotoGP in 2008, starting in place of injured Loris Capirossi at the British GP, finishing 14th
Ben Spies got a taste of MotoGP racing in 2008. He finished sixth at the Red Bull USGP at the famed Indy Speedway.
place scoring his first MotoGP points. He had two further wildcard outings, achieving 8th at Laguna Seca and an even more impressive 6th at Indianapolis.
Spies joined the World Superbike series in 2009 and continued his domination. During his rookie season, "Elbowz" sets the record for the most Superpole wins and won the championship. This is the first title for Yamaha in the World Superbike series.
The Texan now sets his sights on the 2010 MotoGP title and will join the ranks with fellow American Colin Edwards on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad.
Career Highlights:
2009 - WSBK Champion
2008 - AMA Superbike Champion
2007 - AMA Superbike Champion
2006 - AMA Superbike Champion
2005 - 2nd AMA Superbike
2004 - 4th AMA Supersport
2003 - AMA Formula Xtreme Champion
2003 - 9th AMA Supersport Series.
2002 - 6th AMA Formula Xtreme.
