Spies Q & A
Ben Spies became the joint most successful qualifier in
WSB history when he secured his 10th pole position of the season. His stunning Magny-Cours pole matched the previous all-time record set by fellow American Doug Polen back in 1991.
Ben Spies won the Superpole position for the start of both races at Magny-Cours.
On the same day he received confirmation he will be racing at the final round of the MotoGP world championship at Valencia on a fifth
Yamaha M1 alongside Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Colin Edwards and James Toseland.
Q. You secured pole again despite it being your first visit to Magny Cours, did you think it would be possible?
Spies: “As soon as I did a lap on Friday I knew it was going to be a hell of a lot better than Imola. This track is a different animal to last weekend. In Italy the bike wasn’t working and I wasn’t comfortable over the bumps and with traction. Magny-Cours has got big direction changes and sweeping corners so it’s more of a riders track.”
Q. What’s the plan for the races tomorrow?
Spies:
“My plan is to push the pace as hard as I can for as long as I can and see who’s there. I’ve done a lot of laps on old tires and our fast times have come with laps with 20 laps on them.”
Ben Spies will be racing the final MotoGP round in Valencia in November.
“There are still four races left and that’s a lot of points. I’ve got good pace this weekend and I’m feeling good – I’m going to push it just like I do every race and go for the win. I’m happy, I’ve found some speed and I’m very comfortable with the bike here. After it’s done I’ll asses the championship.”
Q. It’s been revealed today that you will be racing at the final round of MotoGP at Valencia. Exciting times?
Spies:
“I’m going there to test plain and simple. With not much winter testing this year I need as much time as possible on the bike. By doing the race I’ll be up to speed for the first official test on the Tuesday and Wednesday after the Valencia race weekend.”
Q. What about getting a result?
Spies:
“I know people want to see how I stack up, but I’m not going there for a result. I’ve been talking to Lin Jarvis (Yamaha Racing Boss) for a while about this and as soon as I knew I was going to GPs I said ‘let’s do Valencia’.”
Rea on Front Row and Fired Up
Jonathan Rea heads in to tomorrow’s two WSB races in confident mood after an impressive weekend performance and front-row start. The 22-year-old Ten Kate man remains desperate to make amends for his erratic performance last weekend where he finished seventh and sixth despite having pace to run at the front.
A confident Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Jonathan Rea is looking for the podium at Magny-Cours.
He said:
“It’s really good because it’s not just one fast lap. I’ve had pace all weekend and I’m comfortable so I plan to be patient in the race unlike last week where I got really frustrated.
“I feel that I can ride with a bit more maturity knowing that the race is going to come to me at the end. It’s not just me though, Spies, Nori and Fabrizio can all bring something to the table.”
Unlike Imola which is a hard track to pass, Magny-Cours represents some clear overtaking opportunities which Rea should be able to exploit on his powerful Ten Kate Honda.
“I’m strong on to the back straight and that provides a good opportunity to pass. We’re on the front row on a good part of the track going into turn one. So my plan is to make a good start, not be manic and just sit there. I want to push the pace as hard as I can. If those guys can come then I’ll let them lead for a lap or two and have a fight at the end. I’ve never wanted to race as much in my whole life – I’m really up for it.”
WSS Title Fight Beckons
Like the WSB title race which looks set to go right down to the wire, the World Supersport Championship is set for an equally thrilling climax with Yamaha man Cal Crutchlow and Honda rider Eugene Laverty separated by just two points heading into the Magny-Cours race. With both riders on the front row of the grid, Crutchlow has the advantage of being on pole but is nursing injuries from suffering four crashes in the last six days, while Laverty is fully fit but slightly off the pace of his title rival.
Crutchlow said:
“I loosened my tooth in the crash at Imola and then when I crashed on Friday it fell out. I can’t believe I lost my tooth, but the real problem is my shoulder. I lost the front and slid along the ground but when I hit the curb it ripped my arm above my head. It’s agony and I don’t know how I’m riding. I’ve damaged the muscle and I’m in the clinica mobile before and after each session getting ice and injections. I feel pummeled.
“It’s going to be close tomorrow, it’s not just Laverty I have to race, Lascorz and Sofuoglu are up there and we’re all separated by about 1/10th. We’re definitely on for a good race and there’s going to be a few no mercy moves going on, that’s for sure.”
Being two points behind, Laverty knows that he needs to beat Crutchlow to keep his title charge on track. He said:
“I struggled at the start of the day, but we made a big step at the beginning of the session to improve front grip and I still feel that we can go a bit further in that direction.
“I know that Cal can walk away as champion, whereas I can’t. I need to beat him so that we go into Portugal with a slight points advantage. If I don’t then it means I’ll need other people to get involved and finish between us at the final round.”
