Ben Spies and his Suzuki crew today at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. image by keith patti

According to Ben Spies, the Indianapolis MotoGP track is "a work in progress."

Rumors have swirled around the track that runoff is inadequate in certain corners. Asked to comment on the issue, Spies felt that despite the looming walls on either side of the front straightaway, there is plenty of runoff in Turn One, unless someone is off line because of a mechanical problem or coming together with another rider. The last turn, however, "if there is the worst part on the track, that's where it is." Rain, he felt, could make the problem even worse.

According to Spies, discussions are underway about realigning the corner, currently defined by a removable false curb. However, doing so would increase the speed on the front straightaway, exacerbating concerns about the runoff in Turn One. But Spies emphasized that "I think it's going to be fine. I think everybody will be able to deal with it."

Rizla makes rolling papers, but Spies' exhaust pipe screams "Smoke 'em!" image by susan haas, seamstress for the band

Spies has been the hardest worker on the track this week, clearly trying to understand the bike before his race at Laguna Seca in two weeks. He turned 100 laps yesterday, ending the day with a, 1:44.2269, second only to Ducati's Niccolo Canepa. Spies shaved his lap times again this morning, posting a best time of 1:43.0912, and finishing with a 24-lap near-race distance stint before lunch, with lap times mostly in the low 1:44's and high 1:43's--for a total of 70 laps before the noon break, again far more than any other rider. Spies commented that despite the vast differences between the MotoGP bike and the Superbikes he has grown accustomed to, the riding style is similar to the 125 and 250 two-strokes he grew up on. "The more I ride the bike, the more my style's getting back to what it used to be, and feeling a lot more comfortable on the thing.

The bikes Spies is riding at this test were built for him by Suzuki, and they will be shipped directly to Laguna Seca from Indianapolis following the test. Nobuatsu Aoki, Suzuki's test rider, is on hand to shake down the new bikes and help Spies communicate with the Japanese mechanics. Aoki posted four laps when the test opened yesterday morning, then yielded the machines to the American rider.