Ben Spies rues more cruel misfortune in Indianapolis

Ben Spies was left counting the cost of more cruel bad luck in Indianapolis on Sunday after the Texan was denied a home podium by a major engine failure.

Spies was running in a relatively comfortable second place behind Repsol Honda rival Dani Pedrosa when his YZR-M1 engine spectacularly blew up on the home straight as he prepared finish lap seven.

The engine meltdown was the second major technical issue to deny Spies a top result on home soil in less than a month.

The 2009 World Superbike was lying in fourth place during the recent Laguna Seca race in California when a broken swingarm saw him crash out.

The latest bout of bad luck continued a shocking run for Spies in 2012, who suffered a cracked seat unit in the opening race in Qatar and a badly chunked Bridgestone rear tyre that denied him a rostrum in Assen.

Spies told MCN: “I’ve been racing professionally since I was 16 and never had anything like this. After ten minuets I wasn’t frustrated, I was just in disbelief that that much bad luck could happen. I got back to the pits and lost my cool for a little bit but after ten minutes I was calmed down and it got to the stage where it was humorous. When I look back in ten years and what I’ve done then I know what I’m still capable of achieving if I can get to the finish line without problems. I’m showing up every week with a clear head giving it 100% but it is not working out.”

For more on Spies as tension between himself and Yamaha intensify, see the August 22 issue of Motor Cycle News.