Ben Spies to race Valentino Rossi and James Toseland in Valencia

Ben Spies will make a shock Yamaha MotoGP debut in the season’s final race in Valencia next month. MCN learned that Yamaha has submitted an entry application to Dorna and the International Race Teams Association for the Texan to ride a fifth YZR-M1 machine in the last race on November 8. And confirmation of the one-off ride for Spies was made a short time ago in Estoril.

The move follows confirmation earlier this week that the 25-year-old would replace James Toseland and join compatriot Colin Edwards in the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad for 2010. And it sets up the mouth-watering prospect of seeing Spies line-up against reigning world champion Valentino Rossi and Toseland in the season’s finale.

A wild card in Valencia for Spies would give him three more days of preparation for the 2010 season with the winter testing schedule slashed to just eight days to help cut costs. A full race weekend would also give Spies a chance for him to familiarise himself with the YZR-M1 machine.

It would also help him ahead of a two-day test immediately after the final round in Valencia that will take place on November 10 and 11. Spies will race in Valencia in Yamaha’s corporate blue colours and not under the Fiat or Monster Tech 3 banners.