By Mike Nicks
Within ten seconds of Ben Spies walking out of the Rizla Suzuki pitbox to hold a brief open-air press conference, I thought:
MotoGP and this guy are a perfect match.
The double AMA Superbike champion is only 23, but Spies has the kind of authoritative demeanour and deep Marlboro-man voice - but without the charred lungs and the impotence - that makes women tremble and journalists listen.
"If I want to be over here I have to be over here as soon as I can," Spies intoned. "I am trying to get here for sure."
It's generally assumed that Spies, who has gained his American success with Suzuki, would automatically slot into the Rizla Suzuki grand prix team if he came to Europe. But that's not necessarily the case.
His management team is in discussion with Marlboro Ducati, and interest from Yamaha is also rumoured, as well as contact with Francis Batta's Alstare Suzuki World Superbike team.
But the way Spies is handling the GSVR800 at
Donington this weekend, anything other than an express route into MotoGP would seem to be a waste of his talent.
