MotoGP: Ben Spies to make Suzuki MotoGP debut in Malaysia test

Ben Spies will be given his first chance to impress on Suzuki’s factory GSV-R MotoGP machine when he tests at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia next month.

MCN understands the newly crowned American superbike champion will ride in a test session on the Monday after the Malaysian MotoGP on October 21, 2007.

Suzuki is keen to get him on their GSV-R 800 as much as possible before Spies makes a full-time switch to MotoGP in 2009.

Ben Spies, who retained his American Superbike crown yesterday (Sunday) with a dramatic final round success over Aussie team-mate Mat Mladin in Laguna Seca, told MCN earlier this season that he already has a deal in place for a factory ride in 2009.

But Suzuki management denied that an agreement had already in place.

It has also been rumoured that Ben Spies could feature as a wild card with him tipped to make his MotoGP race debut for Suzuki in the season’s final race in Valencia.

That now seems unlikely, but he is still expected to fly to Europe and take part in the traditional post Valencia test session.

Rizla Suzuki team boss Paul Denning told MCN earlier this month: “He has a contract with Suzuki America for 2008 to ride in AMA but Suzuki globally very much wants to keep him in the fold and is seriously and genuinely considering options for the future to see him expand outside of America and onto a GP bike in the near future.

“It is not at all clear how that structure might be achieved or even how the initial experience or testing may occur. But it’s very much the case that Suzuki wants to keep him in the fold and is considering the options to do so.”