He's not going to wait until 2011. Tech3 Yamaha just said Spies will go motoGP in 2010 racing beside fellow Texan Colin Edwards...
http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2009/E...Tech+3+in+2010

Ouch for Toseland.

 

Looks like Toseland is trading places with Spies. He's off to WSB next year...
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sp...?&R=EPI-118897

 

My random thought/2 cents... If I were to make a poll I'm wondering who'd rather be a WSBK champion or a top ten finisher in MotoGP, how the voting would go. I don't know I guess I just think WSBK has always been more interesting. I also don't necessarily consider it a "step down" from MotoGP, because I'd be very curious to see how the front runners in MotoGP would do on in WSBK. I'm sure some would be up front right away but not all of them. Anyway I'm all for it I love watching Ben kicking some serious *** in WSBK, even though it would also be cool to see Nori finally win one. I hope Ben's eventually able to climb to the same level there that he amazingly was at right off the bat in WSBK. I'm just thinking Colin Edwards is no slouch, and he's NEVER won a race in MotoGP.

 

I was hoping Ben would stay with WSBK for at least a couple more years. He may find it more difficult racing against the midgets and the Chimp, not to mention Rossi (seems like he'll never retire).

I'm also hoping Nori will pull it off this year in WSBK, he's earned it with all the hard riding he's put in over the years.

 

Especially after he almost won it in 2000 but there was that whole bullshit about him taking ephedrine in the offseason...whatever that ranks right up there with gobert losing his ride because he smoked a ******' joint after he won a race. It always amazes me all the **** all these dirtbags in basketball, football and baseball get away with though. Even so I think I'll be rooting for Ben

I'd also have liked to see Ben stick around awhile and be the next Bayliss or Fogerty in WSBK. Oh well, maybe he's got what it takes to compete with the little people in GP.

 

Well... Even since I'm not US based, I'm still rooting for Ben... My favourite outcome would be Haga for the WSBK championship this year, and Ben next year... And then possibly go racing in MotoGP...

But actually even if Toseland (he is one of my favourites) won't like the move, I think it's actually a good one for him... He's been on a downward spiral motivational wise in MotoGP, and going back and being competative in WSBK will do him good...

 

I think Ben is going to be serious force in motoGP in 2011. It was incredible to see him place 8th at Laguna in 2007, on his 1st ever race in motoGP on a Rizla Suzuki no less.

 

i bet yamaha will pour money / tech support into the tech3 bikes to make colin & ben more competitive. as rossi / colin gets older they'd like to have somebody ready soon.

tim

 

I think his name is Jorge Lorenzo Seriously though I hope he gets equipment that can showcase his talents, otherwise why go?

 

Jorge is FAST ! i meant as a partner to...

also it's good to not have all you eggs in one basket.

tim

 

In my opinion they have way too many, too similar, leagues.

WSB, MotoGP, SuperSport, etc etc. Hey I am champion in WTPB!! (world tractor powered bike) woo hoo, who cares? no one can tell the difference and if there are 4 world champions, then there are NO world champions.

 

It would be cool to see the world's best all competing against one another. Didn't that place used to be called Daytona?

 

Heh heh heh. Not for me to contradict a Floridian....

 

I guess it was cool when the factories would build one off bikes for the world riders and come to daytona. I also liked when they'd do the same for the suzuka 8 hrs but it doesn't seem like any of the big guys have that in their contracts anymore either...

 

Yeah, not sure from memory that many one-offs were built for Daytona, but certainly some debuted there.

And, yeah, riders seem much more precious now than in the days of my friends Mr Anderson, Mr Molloy, Mr Crosby, Mr Scott, and Mr Slight. (I guess they're financially more precious, too...)