Ben Spies talks Indy return and other (frequently updated) notes from the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Sunday's Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix will air LIVE on SPEED starting at 4:30pm ET. #MotoGPonSPEEDSpies Set For Indy Return, Addresses Rumors ( By Colin Young) Ben Spies has confirmed he will return to MotoGP with the Ignite Pramac Ducati team at next month's Indianapolis Grand Prix. After a long injury lay-off and intense rehab on his injured shoulder, Spies says he now feels better than he has in months and plans to compete in the nine races comprising the second half of the season. Spies said the Indy GP will be the real start of his 2013 season. Spies was speaking at Laguna Seca where he visited the Pramac team for this Sunday's U.S. Grand Prix. "I saw the doctors two days ago and everything is right on schedule so I look forward to being back in Indy and being 100%," Spies said. "I'm looking forward to getting stuck into it and being back to where we need to be. I've missed a lot but I was never 100% and riding like I needed to be. "I made the best decision to do everything properly because I came back too soon and I wasn't ready and I got another injury in Austin because I wasn't strong enough to ride." Spies injured his shoulder last October at the Malaysian Grand Prix and admits he came back too early after surgery for preseason testing and racing earlier this year. Since he made the decision to take a proper break for rehab at the Italian GP in Mugello in May there have been many unfounded rumors as to his status, and that he may have even retired from racing. "This break I took to get me back to 100% was the smartest thing to do. There has been a million rumors about what I'm doing and I've been at home on the computer laughing at that," Spies said. "I feel ready to be back on the bike and ready to try and get back up to speed and that's the first time in eight months I've had that feeling. "All the other times on the bike I was wondering what I could do and it was a crap way to ride and not the way to do it. Now I can come back and not worry about me." Spies said he will not do a test day, even on a production bike, to check his fitness in advance of the Indy race in August. The Indy GP begins a run of three consecutive races with the Czech GP (Brno) and the British GP (Silverstone ) following on consecutive weekends. It is a punishing schedule for a rider has not been at fitness for than 10 months. "We have to wait and see but more for me it will be about getting back up to speed," Spies said. "Indy will be the first weekend where I won't be thinking how my shoulder is going to be. I am sure I will have some muscle soreness on my whole body because I haven't been riding for so long. "At least I won't have to be worried about how bad the shoulder is going to be. Indy is the start of the season for me and we just have to progress and get faster and faster." Spies has a two-year contract with Ducati so he is set for 2014 and will now use the second half of this season to prepare a platform for next year with Ducati still to confirm who will partner Andrea Dovizioso in the factory squad. Fellow American Nicky Hayden has been told his Ducati contract will not be renewed. "Right now I just need to be calm and make steps with me getting back up to speed with the bike for next year," Spies said. "A lot of decisions have to be made on what will happen to the bike and what the team structure will be."
www.yahootrend.com