Although Yamaha Motor Italia rider Ben Spies crashed his Yamaha WSB R1 during a Thursday afternoon stint of this week’s World Superbike test at the Kyalami circuit in South Africa, the three-time and reigning AMA Superbike Champion finished up strong on Friday, completing the third and final day with a lap recorded at 1:39.978. One of only three riders to drop down into the 1:39 mark, only Michel Fabrizio turned a quicker lap than the American, the Xerox Ducati rider stopping the clocks at 1:39.714. The only other rider to break into the 1:39 trio was Noriyuki Haga, his lap clicked off at 1:39.984.

Spies, aged 24, had something of a strategy in mind when he turned his fast lap. Waiting until later in the afternoon to roll out onto the rapidly cooling 2.6-mile, 13-turn circuit, he then truly turned the throttle of the R1 to the stop.

“A lot of the riders ran qualifying tires early in the morning session while I was running a race set up,” said Spies via a press release. “That put me down in the standings a bit most of the day, but I knew we had a lot in reserve.”

Yet to compete in his rookie World Superbike Series season, Spies has been the buzz of the paddock in South Africa, the Texan’s excellent form and quick, consistent lap times all things to be expected from a more experienced WSB pilot.

“I’m really happy with the bike, the team and the progress we’re making,” he offered. “This was the first time we had the opportunity to go out and size ourselves up against everyone in a major test. We’re ahead of where we thought we’d be at this point. There are two more test sessions this winter and I expect the bike will continue to improve as we move towards the season opener at Phillip Island in March.”

All things considered, while Spies impressed those who watched him at Kyalami, he too was impressed by the sportsmanship and professionalism displayed by the riders and teams that make up the globetrotting two-wheel tour.

“We had more fans here for testing than we do at some races in the States,” said an impressed Spies. “The fan support here is pretty amazing. It was a good week to get to know some of the other riders too. I had a lot of them come up and shake my hand and welcome me to the series. Max Biaggi came up and talked with me for a while. That was pretty awesome for me. I’ve been a fan of Max since I was a kid.”

Ben Spies will participate in the next comprehensive World Superbike test set for Portugal next month.

Eric Johnson