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Count me thoroughly impressed. It seems nothing can stop Texan Ben Spies from marching straight to the pinnacle of the motorcycle roadracing. This guy is a juggernaut. In only his second pre-season test (Sepang, Malaysia), he had the 5th fastest time. The only riders to better him were the 4 aliens (Rossi, Stoner, Pedrosa and Lorenzo) recognized as such for their speed difference over the rest of the field. Spies seems to be making unstoppable forward progress. And there’s no sign that any of the normally difficult hurdles to becoming the MotoGP World Champion are anything more than just another minor task for him to master.

Notable names behind Ben at the same test were the other two Americans and MotoGP veterans: his teammate and fellow Texan Colin Edwards and former World Champion and factory Ducati rider Nicky Hayden. Meanwhile, most of the other MotoGP rookies were down at the bottom of the order. Gee, maybe Superbike riders aren’t so bad after all. Maybe the 250s aren’t the only way to learn the craft.

If this keeps up, this guy will be running up-front in the opening races, winning races by mid-season and will be a favorite to take the World Championship in his second year. The last time I was this excited by a rider was when I was watching the current and 9 time World Champion, Valentino Rossi, moving up through the ranks.

After a somewhat humble beginning to his roadracing career, the man known as “Elbows” (for is elbows out riding style), won the AMA Superbike Championship 3 years in a row, and competing against Suzuki’s Mat Mladin (6 time AMA Superbike Champion) at that. Then he goes to World Superbike and in his first season (that’s right, rookie year) and on a new brand of motorcycle (Yamaha) wins the Championship against the likes of Noriyuki Haga on the factory Ducati. And in the process he takes the most pole positions in a season (11) where he’d never seen most of the tracks! These results seem like Hollywood fantasy.

Now moved up to MotoGP, the highest rung on the motorcycle roadracing ladder, he continues his relentless push. I haven’t been truly impressed by American riders since Wayne Rainey and Kevin Schwantz back in the early ’90’s, but Ben’s giving me a reason to stop cheering for Rossi (arguably the greatest racer of all time) and support the home team again! My apologies to Nicky Hayden, but his flash-in-the-pan pales in comparison.

With the class moves back to 990 cc bikes next year, this bodes even better for Ben.

Go get ‘em Elbows,

Rhino