Last September Ducati Corse announced that Ben Spies had
been signed to race for the Pramac Racing Team in the 2013 MotoGP World
Championship. Last night, the American’s Ducati Desmosedici GP13 was
officially unveiled at Wrooom 2013, the traditional Press Ski Meeting in
Madonna di Campiglio that symbolically launches the forthcoming MotoGP
season.
Ducati has a long relationship
with Pramac Team Principal Paolo Campinoti, whose squad is now
factory-supported. Under the guidance of Team Manager Francesco
Guidotti, Pramac Racing will play a key role in the development of the
Ducati Desmosedici GP13, and Ben Spies’ experience and talent will be
essential to the project. In addition to being a winner and six-time
podium finisher in MotoGP, the Texan won the 2009 Superbike World
Championship and is a three-time AMA Superbike Champion.
Spies’ Ignite Pramac Racing Team Ducati Desmosedici GP13 prominently
features the logo of new sponsor Ignite Asset Management, a New
York-based, alternative-asset-management firm led by a group of
hedge-fund industry veterans and supported by private investors with a
passion for motorsports.
Paolo Ciabatti (Ducati Corse MotoGP Project Director)
“We’re very pleased with the agreement we’ve reached with Ignite
Pramac Racing Team for 2013, which has the Francesco Guidotti-run team
taking on factory-supported status, with an even closer link to Ducati’s
racing department. This is also demonstrated with the presence for the
first time of Pramac Racing Team at Wrooom, the fantastic event taking
place in Madonna di Campiglio. We’re very confident that Ben Spies will
be able to use his talents to help us with the development of the bike
and to achieve the results we’re after more quickly, and we thank the
sponsor Ignite Asset Management for its support on this project.”
Francesco Guidotti (Ignite Pramac Racing Team Manager)
“Pramac Racing Team is honoured to welcome Ben Spies, who has
enormous talent and a spectacular riding style. We’re expecting a big
challenge, but thanks to the important support of sponsor Ignite Asset
Management and our new status as a Ducati factory-supported team, we are
sure we will live up to expectations. With Ben, we’ll endeavour to
speed up the development process on the bike to achieve our objectives
as soon as possible. We’re enthusiastically looking forward to the 2013
season.”
Ben Spies (Ignite Pramac Racing Team Rider)
“I am excited to be a part of the Ducati family. This is something
I've wanted from the beginning of my racing career. My team and I have
our work cut out for us and new goals to meet, but we'll benefit from
factory support and Audi coming on board. Ducati has four strong riders
with different styles, which should improve the Desmosedici and bring it
back up to the top where it belongs.”
