Superbikes Spies Will Lay Low |
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At Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, Spies will be shooting for a record seventh consecutive pole in the World Superbike Championship, which is making its only U.S. stop this year. As the first American to ride World Superbike in several seasons, Spies is enjoying an outstanding rookie season. He has five victories and seven podium finishes in 12 starts and is ranked third in the standings, 88 points behind chief rival Noriyuki Haga. When Spies won three consecutive AMA Superbike championships in the USA from 2006 to 2008, he says he got recognized only at motorcycle shops. Now he enjoys the anonymity when he returns to Texas (he has houses in Dallas and Longview) from the frenzy of living in Lake Como, Italy. "The Italians and Europeans have taken to me very well, and it's much appreciated, but it's movie star status," Spies says. "It gets a little insane sometimes. It's cool to sign autographs, but it's also good to lay low. When you're in Europe, every coffee shop you go into, someone is going to notice." The higher profile comes with World Superbike, which is considered a rung below Moto GP for motorcycle racing and perhaps third in global popularity for motor sports. "Formula One, World Superbike and Moto GP are very close," Spies says. "World Superbike is big in Europe, much bigger than NASCAR. The Italians are completely nuts for it." Spies, 24, is hoping for a similarly rousing reception Sunday in Utah, one of 14 rounds (two races apiece) on a circuit that includes visits to Britain, Australia, Qatar, South Africa and Portugal. "Everybody is going to be rooting for the American," Spies says. "It's definitely a smaller crowd than Europe, but it's big walking through the pits and having all the Americans pumped and hoping you do well." Spies didn't expect to excel so quickly in World Superbike but now is being mentioned as a candidate for following Americans Colin Edwards and Nicky Hayden to Moto GP. He is signed to a one year contract with Yamaha, which also competes in Moto GP. "Yamaha wants me in whichever (series) I'm happy and we'll be able to do," Spies says. "We're talking about what's feasible. We have a great relationship, and it's a great corporation. I want to stay a part of it." Shake up for Earnhardt? Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick said the team was considering changes to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team and wouldn't rule out replacing crew chief Tony Eury Jr. Earnhardt was a season worst 40th in Monday's Coca Cola 600, his third finish in a row outside the top 25. Briefly: In the face of declining ratings and crowds, NASCAR held two town hall style meetings Tuesday with Sprint Cup owners, executives and drivers at its Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C. Among the topics discussed were the quality of competition, the substance abuse policy and efforts to solicit input from fans. Paul Tracy will replace Vitor Meira, who could miss four months after breaking two vertebrae in an Indianapolis 500 crash, for the IndyCar Series race at The Milwaukee Mile. | ||||||
| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 14 July 2009 ) | ||||||
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