MotoGP 2011 – Ben Spies

en Spies (/ˈbɛn ˈspiːz/; born July 11, 1984), is an American former professional motorcycle road racer. He is nicknamed “Elbowz” due to his riding style, in which his elbows protrude outward.[1] Spies won the AMA Superbike Championship for Yoshimura Suzuki in 2006, and successfully defended it in 2007 and 2008.For 2009 he raced in the Superbike World Championship series for the Yamaha Italia team; winning the championship in his rookie year by six points over rival Noriyuki Haga. He started racing on Yamaha YSR50cc bikes with the Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association in Texas when he was 8 years old. Spies lives in Italy. On October 26, 2013, Spies announced his retirement from motorcycle racing after two debilitating crashes left him with permanent shoulder injuries.[2]