Local knowledge for Spies at Miller Park
Added on Thursday, May 28th, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor
Local knowledge for Spies at Miller Park
Yamaha’s Ben Spies is in the unusual position of actually having previous track knowledge this weekend as he looks to kick-start his title challenge this weekend.
The WSB championship heads to Miller Motorsports Park this weekend for the latest round after a difficult round in South Africa two weeks ago left him third in the rider’s standings, 85 points behind Noriyuki Haga.
Spies has so far had to content with brand new circuits throughout the his debut WSB season, with only a handful of MotoGP wildcard races to his name in a career that has been solely based in the American championship before this season. But that changes this weekend with Spies having the experience advantage at the new Salt Lake City circuit.
Introduced to the WSB calendar last year, Spies has plenty of experience of the Miller Park complex, winning there twice last season in the AMA championship and although the circuit configuration is slightly different, the 24-year-old is full of confidence.
“It’s awesome to be back home in the USA,” said Yamaha World Superbike Team rider Ben Spies. “This is my first trip home this year, so it’s been a bit crazy. After the ups and downs of Kyalami I’m really happy to be home and looking forward to Miller this weekend. It’s a great track and one I know well.
“It makes a big change to be heading towards a race with good track knowledge, this will be the first time this year I’ve gone to a track I’ve raced at before, and in front of a home crowd too. The team and I are working hard on the set-up, and I’m hopeful we can bring this one home for the fans here in the states.”
