Spies signs Yamaha deal until 2012
Added on Wednesday, June 8th, 2011 by Carole Nash Editor
Spies signs Yamaha deal until 2012
Ben Spies has signed a new contract with Yamaha that will keep him with the factory team until the end of the 2012 season.
The American rider, who joined the Yamaha Factory Racing team from satellite Tech 3 to replace Valentino Rossi, has put pen to paper on a new one-year contract that secures his place in MotoGP next year.
The announcement comes just days after Spies recorded his first podium finish as a Yamaha factory rider, when he finished third in the Catalunya Grand Prix.
“I am very happy to say that I will remain a part of the Yamaha family and that I will continue in the MotoGP series for 2012,” said the former AMA and World Superbike champion. “This is a privileged time of my career, riding for the most successful team in recent years at the very highest racing level. Yamaha has been great in supporting me through World Superbike and on to MotoGP and I want to thank them for all they have done, and for giving me their trust to continue in MotoGP in 2012. I especially would like to say thank you to Lin Jarvis and Masahiko Nakajima for their support.”
Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing, added “We are obviously delighted to announce the continuation of our partnership with Ben for the 2012 season and we hope that he will remain at Yamaha for many years to come.
“Ben has shown his ability to successfully compete at the highest level; firstly by becoming Yamaha’s first World Superbike champion in 2009 and then attaining the status of Best Rookie in 2010 with the Tech3 Yamaha Team.
“His transition to the Yamaha Factory Racing team in 2011 has just begun and we have every confidence in Ben’s abilities and high potential for the future. This timely decision now allows us to concentrate on the present championship and, in parallel, to prepare for our 2012 MotoGP program with the change to the 1000cc bikes.”
