MotoAmerica Superbike points leader Cameron Beaubier has added another weapon to his arsenal— retired MotoGP star Ben Spies. The former AMA and World Superbike Champion has agreed to create a specialized training program for Beaubier, who many see as the next up-in-coming American to get promoted to the World ranks.
In his Superbike debut last season, Beaubier finished third overall in the series. The 22-year-old factory Yamaha motorcycle road racer has five victories thus far this year while his Monster Energy Graves Yamaha teammate, four-time and reigning AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes, has won the other five.
“Earlier this season, I realized I needed help—some structure and a little bit of guidance—to reach my full potential,” Beaubier said via release. “I felt like I had been working hard but I now know that I was relying on my natural speed and the minimal training that I had been doing.
“Ben [Spies] was our last American World Champion, and I believe he has a lot to offer. Ben has a ton of experience traveling in Europe, and it’s no secret that’s where I want to be in the future. He knows all of those racetracks and can teach me a lot on both the riding and training sides. I can’t think of a better person to provide that kind of advice.”
Spies won 28 AMA Superbike races and three consecutive premier-class titles before making the leap in 2009 to the FIM Superbike World Championship, where he won 13 of 28 races en route to that year’s world title. Spies spent the next four seasons in the FIM MotoGP World Championship, first with Yamaha and later with Ducati, earning one race win and finishing on the podium six times. After retiring due to injury in 2013, Spies has concentrated on growing his developing amateur cycling team, Elbowz Racing.
“I’ve always followed Cam [Beaubier],” Spies said. “In my opinion, he’s one of the brightest young U.S. racers. I was a bit younger than Cam when I started taking my training really seriously. Before that, I, too, relied on my age and natural talent. My training wasn’t really structured, and I didn’t know what or when to eat.
“I have Cam’s training planned out for the weeks that he is not racing. When he is at the track, I schedule what and when he needs to eat and drink to be prepared for the challenge of competing in two 45-minute Superbike races in a single afternoon.”
As part of the agreement, Spies will attend the eighth round of the MotoAmerica series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, August 7-9, run in conjunction with round 10 of the MotoGP World Championship. Next year, Spies has agreed to attend at least two races. Beaubier will also travel to Texas, where Spies lives, for further assessments.
