AMA SuperBikes | Ben Spies sets the pace at Daytona Tire Test

Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki rider Ben Spies

(AMA Pro Racing Release) Reigning AMA Superbike champion Ben Spies made the most of his abbreviated two-day test in Daytona, posting a 1:36.0 lap time that his rivals will have to shoot for in his absence tomorrow.

Spies will not be in attendance on Sunday due to a scheduled shoulder surgery, but the Texan was still able to make it through his test schedule and lay down some remarkably quick lap times on Friday and Saturday.

After finishing up at Daytona, the Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki ace remarked, “It was good. We got through all the tires and pretty much got through all we wanted to with all our test parts and got the bike working pretty good. There are a couple things we’ll make better when we come back here and they’re easy fixes, but we didn’t have time to really work on it today. We had to do the major test parts that are going to be all through ’09 and test tires. Those were the main things -- it’s really Dunlop’s day.

“We got all that stuff done, and like I said, there are a couple little things we’re going to work on with the bike but nothing that’s really going to make it go faster, just be a little more comfortable and easier to ride.

“We got through a couple swingarms and some new stuff with the engine and about eight front tires and three rears. So we got through quite a bit today. It was a good day and a lot of progress was made today.”

Despite the fact that he only has three years of Superbike experience under his belt, Spies shows the savvy of a more experienced veteran. His focused and hard-charging approach to testing is a clear indication of this.

Spies said, “That’s one thing I’ve learned with testing -- every time I go out I don’t push it like a pole lap, but I push it like I’m going to be riding in the race. There’s no sense in pushing halfway because it’s not going to work the same when you step it up. I don’t care if I’m showing all my cards or not, I’m going to ride as hard as I can.

“If we had to go for pole, there’s a little bit of time left in it, but that’s how hard I ride when it’s a practice Superbike session on a AMA weekend and that’s how you’ve got to test. You do three or four flying laps and come take a water break. It’s not too hard to ride hard for a couple laps. That’s what I was doing and I think Mat does the same, and I think most guys do the same. Like I said, I don’t do that whole ‘not showing everything.’ Those were pretty good laps and we got running ‘6s pretty consistently.”

Another indication is the manner in which he tackles the tricky task of testing front tires. “That’s something that used to be hard for me -- testing new front tires when they’re completely new tires. But now I just go out and go into Turn 1 exactly like I do every lap and if there’s going to be a moment, there’s going to be a moment and then I’m going to tell them about it if it’s good or bad. I go out with a clear head and go ride until something doesn’t work quite right and there’s a big slide or if it’s working really good. You can’t go out and really slowly work into it. You can I guess but I just go out and get down to business. If it’s bad we’ll have a big moment and if it’s not we’ll have decent lap times. At least that’s how we do it and we got some pretty good feedback to Dunlop today about their front tires and I think they’ll have some good stuff for when we come back.”

Spies has enjoyed some tremendous successes and suffered through some traumatic crashes and injuries at the famed (and notorious) circuit. He’s happy to add another check on the positive side this weekend.

He said, “I’m in one piece leaving here and I’m happy about that. Daytona has been bad to me and it’s been really good. Last year we swept everything, poles and wins. I think it kind of owes it to me. I like Daytona race weekend because of all the people and Supercross and it’s the first deal, but I’m also really glad when I can get out of here.”