Spies Looking At MotoGP For 2010

Last season, Ben Spies made no secret of his desire to get into MotoGP. He and his manager, Doug Gonda, spent a long time trying to find the promising young American a ride, but one by one, Spies' options disappeared, leaving Spies to look to World Superbikes to make an impact on the global stage.

So far - even though it's only testing - that's exactly what Spies has done, and the Texan is already setting his sights higher. In an interview with Motorcycle News, Spies confirmed that Yamaha are also interested in fielding him in MotoGP if a seat becomes available.

Whether those seats will be open in 2010 is a question. Dorna's keenness to keep a British rider in the series means James Toseland is likely to keep his ride for 2010. Which leaves only Colin Edwards. Edwards is a veteran with very close ties to Yamaha, and helps Yamaha sell a lot of bikes in the US, but the Texas Tornado is approaching the age where he could be thinking of retiring.

A swap between Edwards and Spies is possible in 2010, but Spies is likely to have to win the World Superbike title at his first attempt if he is to go straight to MotoGP next season. Given the stiff competition in World Superbikes, that's not going to be easy. And given the worries about the future of MotoGP, Spies may well change his mind as the season progresses.