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  • David Phillips
    Editor and Chief
    David Phillips is a long-time contributor to print and electronic publications in the U.S. and abroad, including Racer, Autosport, AutoWeek, Motor Sport and SPEEDtv.com, oversees the daily updating of news stories and assigns, edits and contributes feature material for inRacingNews.com.
  • Chris Hall
    iRacing.com Series Writer
    Chris Hall has been writing since the nineties and moved into motorsports reporting in 2005, covering series such as ALMS, British GT, FIA GT, Le Mans and 2CV racing for Full Throttle magazine, Motorsport.com, The-Paddock.net, GTGateway.com, L' Endurance and, of course, inRacingNews. During 2008 and 2009, he worked with the RSS Performance Porsche Carrera Cup Team (and former British GT(C) champions) as a data engineer for a variety of drivers and models of 997s.
  • Jameson Spies
    Contributing Writer
    19 years old, Jameson Spies lives in Quartz Hill, California. He grew-up surrounded by racing. His mother raced late models throughout Southern California while his father built and setup the car. Not surprisingly, Jameson began racing go-karts at the age of 13, and is now racing Spec Trucks at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. He has a passion about all forms of racing and hopes to make a career out of it.
  • Jason Lofing
    iRacing.com Series Writer
    Jason is 21 years old and was born and raised in Elk Grove. California. A big time NASCAR fan, he hasn’t missed a race on Sunday in years. Lofing is also a huge San Fransisco Giants fan and tries to take in at least a couple games a year. Other than sim racing, his biggest (and far more expensive!) hobby is photography. Although he is rather new to sim racing, Lofing has already accomplished some pretty impressive results, qualifying for the 2011 iRacing Oval Pro Series in Season 1, 2011, winning the inaugural Landon Cassill Qualifying Challenge and finishing runner-up in the second one.
  • David Ifeguni
    Contributing Writer
    I was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1988 and moved to Midland, Michigan when I was two years old. I stayed there until third grade when I moved to Farmington Hills, Michigan and now I currently live in Naperville, IL where I'm attending Metea Valley High School as a 9th grader. In the past, I have participated in soccer and this year I plan on joining swimming or water polo. My family includes my 15 year old sister, a 7 year old sister and my mom and dad. I have been writing since 6th grade and have participated in many writing contests in my school and have received several awards for writing.
    My fascination for motorsports began when I was nine. The first NASCAR race I watched on TV was the 2009 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway, won by Kasey Kahne. My favorite NASCAR drivers are Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Jimmie Johnson. I have watched all the races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series since 2010. I currently have three wins on iRacing, two of them in the Nationwide car at Daytona and one in the Street stocks at Charlotte. My favorite car and type of track on iRacing is the Nationwide Series (B Class) car and superspeedways.
  • Katier Scott
    Contributing Writer
    I am a veteran sim racer who first started racing way back in 1993 on the SPRTSIMS section of Compuserve with a league who can trace themselves all the way to the present. Within that league I act as Chief Steward and try to bring the unique viewpoint that this experience gives me into my articles.
    I have a BA (Hons) in Journalism and Editorial design and have been writing for seven years and currently cover the Lotus 79 CTC and Radical series alongside my freelance work. Living in the UK, as well as motorsports I love Photography, Arts and Crafts and reading.
  • Dylan Sharman
    Contributing Writer
    I was born in Adelaide and we moved-out for Angle Vale for a few years until I was about 7 years old, when we moved to the Barossa Valley where I live now. I'm 19 years old and currently traveling back and forth weekly as I'm studying for a Diploma of Furniture Design and Technology.

    I've always had a love for racing as my close family did some racing and we were always out at the local dirt track. I joined iRacing back in 2010 and slowly but surely got the hang of it as this is my first experience with sim racing and am loving it each time I race. I've won two SK Modified titles (almost had three in a row but finished P2 in 2011 S4), an inRacingNews Challenge championship (2012 S1 Mazda) and was also an AustralAsian Intel GT Series Finalist.
  • Nathan Aljoe
    Contributing Writer
    Nathan's passion for motorsport first began in the late 1980s, captivated by the season in which Aryton Senna won his first F1 title with McLaren. Over the years his interest widened to include the British Touring Car Championship, World Rally Championship, NASCAR and various other forms of motorsport. Nathan began sim-racing in the mid 1990s using games developed by Papyrus. He later moved onto SimBim simulations such as GTR, GTR2 and GTR Evolution and has most recently joined the iRacing community.

    When he's not working or sim racing, Nathan enjoys spending time and relaxing with his family. Other hobbies include going to festivals, tinkering with his car and doing up his house.
  • Austin Hartenfels
    Contributing Writer
    Born and raised in Fredericksburg, Virginia, I have always had a serious passion for cars and motorsports. Hoping one day to become an automotive journalist for a magazine, I constantly crave the exciting competition that comes along with racing and sim-racing. Having participated in a mere test session in a Legends car at Old Dominion Speedway, I have not been able to get into any real-life competition . . . yet.

    As a sim racer, my interests date back to "GTR Evolution." My goal is to have fun and win some races. I made it to Oval Pro in 2010, but did not become very successful. I enjoy any mixed road racing competition and love racing the Silverados around almost any track.
  • Jordan Hightower
    Contributing Writer
    Jordan began sim-racing in 2005 with the NASCAR Racing 2003 Season sim and then joined the iRacing community in June of 2008. He hails from Fort Smith, Arkansas where he is currently enrolled at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith, after which he plans to attend the University of Arkansas to earn his MBA. Although he enjoys watching and playing basketball, most of Jordan's focus is on motorsports, particularly NASCAR: "Anything that burns gas and goes fast, I like."
  • Scott Kelly
    Contributing Writer
    Born and raised in the greater St. Louis, Missouri area, Scott Kelly has had a love for motorsports ever since his father did the right thing by introducing auto racing into his life. No longer able to quench his need for speed by spectating NASCAR races on TV and watching dirt track stars slide around local tracks, Kelly eventually picked-up sim racing in his teens, wheeling cars found in Ratbag Games' "Dirt Track Racing" and "World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars" while also becoming introduced into multiple Papyrus sim-racing series. Joining the iRacing ranks in late 2011, Kelly set his sights on the short track racing he was familiar with, focusing on the sprint car, while also driving the Legends and street stock in multiple iRacing.com leagues.

    Kelly brings not just his enthusiasm for racing to the highest-rated motorsports simulation, but also his B.A. degree in English; he covers the action seen in the iRacing.com Sprint Car Series, while also placing the spotlight on various leagues within the service. Enjoying his start to a career in motorsports journalism, Kelly also doesn't mind visiting victory lane from time-to-time.
  • Kenneth O'Keefe
    Contributing Writer
    Kenneth was born in Smithville, Ontario on December 23, 1994. A major racing fan, he enjoys competitive kart racing in the Rotax Max category at Mosport International Karting. Kenneth also tunes into Formula One and NASCAR races on those Sundays when he is not at the kart track.

    O'Keefe has been sim-racing since 2005, starting on the Live For Speed simulator. After moving to iRacing in 2008, he was able to qualify for the NASCAR iRacing Pro Series (NiPS) in both 2011 and 2012. He will continue to compete and write about the iRacing.com Skip Barber Series throughout the coming year before taking another run at the NiPS in late 2013.
  • Chris Owens
    Contributing Writer
    I was born in Florence, South Carolina in 1989 and have lived here my entire life. I've been around racing since I was a young kid watching with my dad on Sundays. In 2009 and found my local track, Florence Motor Speedway and started working for them as a PR guy the same year. At the end of that season, I started writing for RACE22.com, a Late Model Stock Car news site. In 2010, I picked up my first DSLR camera and started shooting races. To this day, I've experienced some of the best races from behind the camera.

    I've been with the iRacing service since its public beta in 2008, back when the top oval car was the Late Model. I've been in over 500 races on the service with 70+ wins on both oval and road. My favorite car on the service is the Chevrolet Silverado. Darlington Raceway and Concord Speedway are my favorite tracks simply because everybody hates them.
  • George Wood
    Contributing Writer
    After beginning his racing career with go-karts at age seven, George then turned wrenches on street stocks until he could finally turn the wheel. Following the successes of his friends and family, George has since retired from real-world racing, where he is now a science and mathematics faculty member for several local community colleges. When George isn't grading laboratory reports or iRacing, he is performing at bluegrass festivals in the Northeast, making fishing lures, playing golf, and rooting for his beloved Baltimore Orioles.

Pirro to sub for Spies again

June 5th, 2013

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Pirro to sub for Spies again

Ducati’s MotoGP test rider Michele Pirro will again stand in for the injured Ben Spies at the forthcoming race at Barcelona. The Italian filled in for Spies in the French Grand Prix, with the American struggling to overcome physical problems precipitated by a heavy crash at Sepang last year. Spies also missed the preceding race in Jerez, although Ducati did not field a replacement as Pirro was racing its development bike in the first of the three wildcard starts he will make in 2013.

Spies pulls out of Mugello

June 1st, 2013

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Ben Spies has withdrawn from the Mugello MotoGP weekend as his persistent shoulder problems proved too severe in practice. The American has struggled for fitness since the Phillip Island crash that ended his Yamaha stint last year

Pirro to stand in for Spies at Le Mans

May 6th, 2013

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Pirro to stand in for Spies at Le Mans

Ducati MotoGP test rider Michele Pirro will fill in for Ben Spies in the satellite Pramac squad for the French Grand Prix. The American will miss his second straight race as he struggles to overcome physical problems that began with a heavy crash at Sepang last year and were exacerbated in testing at the same track last month . Pirro had also been slated to stand in for Spies at Jerez, only for Ducati to confirm he would, as originally intended, race its development bike at the Spanish track

No stand-in for Spies at Jerez

May 2nd, 2013

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No stand-in for Spies at Jerez

Pramac Ducati has confirmed that it will only field Andrea Iannone in this weekend’s Jerez MotoGP race, as Michele Pirro will run with the works team rather than on Ben Spies’ bike. Factory test rider Pirro was originally listed as the stand-in for Spies in the Spanish Grand Prix, as the American skips the race to recover from lingering injuries. But Jerez had previously been announced as one of the venues at which Pirro would ride an additional works Ducati alongside Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden, and Ducati said earlier this week that this would go ahead, with the Italian on a development machine

Spies expecting to struggle in Qatar

March 28th, 2013

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Spies expecting to struggle in Qatar

Ben Spies admits he expects to struggle in next weekend’s MotoGP season-opener in Qatar after a pre-season hit by injuries and poor weather.

Spies aggravates injury with fall

March 1st, 2013

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Spies aggravates injury with fall

Ben Spies admits a fall on the second day of MotoGP testing at Sepang left him having to contend with shoulder spasms across the final two days. Spies was forced to miss his final two races of 2012 after a heavy crash in last year’s race at Sepang left him with an AC shoulder separation, a cracked rib and bruising to the lung.

Yamaha ‘had lost confidence’ in Spies

January 2nd, 2013

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Yamaha ‘had lost confidence’ in Spies

Ben Spies has revealed that he left Yamaha after one of his employers told him the team had lost confidence in him.

Nakasuga podium ‘buoys Spies’ crew’

November 11th, 2012

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Nakasuga podium ‘buoys Spies’ crew’

Yamaha described stand-in rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga’s surprise Valencia podium as a deserved boost for Ben Spies’ crew at the end of a difficult 2012 MotoGP season for the team working on Yamaha’s second bike.

Spies plays down Yamaha tensions hint

August 20th, 2012

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Spies plays down Yamaha tensions hint

Ben Spies has moved to play down hints of underlying tension within Yamaha following post-race comments at the Indianapolis Grand Prix. The Texan, who caused a stir at Laguna Seca when he confirmed via Twitter that he would be leaving the Japanese squad, said that he had been told ‘somebody high up’ in Yamaha that he should not arrive at the US circuit unless he was prepared to ride at 100 per cent

Spies ‘really sore’ after accident

August 18th, 2012

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Spies ‘really sore’ after accident

Ben Spies admitted that he would go into the Indianapolis MotoGP race day in substantial pain after his crash in qualifying. The Yamaha rider joined Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden in having a huge crash at Turn 13. Unlike Stoner and Hayden, Spies was able to walk away unaided and later rejoined the session.

Spies sure crash won’t hamper race

July 28th, 2012

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Spies sure crash won’t hamper race

Ben Spies does not think his big crash in United States Grand Prix qualifying will hamper him at all in Sunday’s race, despite admitting that he might have injured a heel in the accident. The Yamaha rider had a high-side at Turn 3 during qualifying at Laguna Seca. He appeared to be in discomfort just after the crash, but returned to the pits and was able to resume the session on his spare bike.

Sickness hampers Spies at Mugello

July 15th, 2012

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Sickness hampers Spies at Mugello

Ben Spies said 11th in the Italian Grand Prix was the best he could do as illness overwhelmed him during the Mugello race. The American, who has endured a difficult season on the second works Yamaha, fought for a top-six place in the early laps before tumbling down the order.

Spies says bad luck now only problem

June 30th, 2012

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Spies says bad luck now only problem

Ben Spies says only misfortune and technical problems are now standing between him on getting back on the MotoGP podium. The American struggled in the opening part of the 2012 season, with a series of disappointing race performances putting his seat in the factory Yamaha line-up under pressure

Yamaha hugely confident after practice

June 28th, 2012

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Yamaha hugely confident after practice

Yamaha riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies said they will go into Assen MotoGP qualifying full of confidence in their bikes after topping a practice session apiece in the Netherlands on Thursday. Lorenzo led the way in morning practice, while Spies – who won the Dutch TT last year – went quickest in the second session

Spies sanguine about MotoGP future

June 27th, 2012

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Spies sanguine about MotoGP future

Ben Spies says he is ‘calm’ about his MotoGP future and will focus on turning his current campaign around rather than worrying too much about 2013 deals. The American’s factory Yamaha contract is up at the end of 2012, and his future has been subject of intense speculation amid a difficult season.

Spies says front row was possible

June 2nd, 2012

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Spies says front row was possible

Ben Spies believes he had the potential to achieve his first front row of the year in qualifying for the Catalunya Grand Prix. The 27-year-old Yamaha rider eventually ended the session in fourth, equalling his best qualifying result of the year. He says however that he could have gone one better and secured a front row berth had he not lost time on his flying lap.

Spies eyes Catalunya turnaround

May 28th, 2012

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Spies eyes Catalunya turnaround

Ben Spies believes that he can turn his season around and end a miserable opening to 2012 in the forthcoming Catalunya Grand Prix. After four races the Texan, 26, currently lies 11th in the riders’ championship, and boasts an eighth-place finish at Estoril as his best result – in contrast to team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, who is yet to finish outside the top two

Spies encouraged despite crash

May 18th, 2012

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Spies encouraged despite crash

Ben Spies ended Friday practice for the French Grand Prix encouraged with his form, despite crashing in the afternoon.

Spies aims for Le Mans resurgence

May 15th, 2012

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Spies aims for Le Mans resurgence

Ben Spies says Le Mans will be another chance to rebuild his confidence and improve his performance after a torrid start to his 2012 MotoGP campaign. The Texan has struggled for pace since the championship began, finishing a distant 11th in both Qatar and Spain – races in which his Yamaha stable-mate Jorge Lorenzo finished first and second respectively.

Spies says eighth a confidence boost

May 6th, 2012

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Spies says eighth a confidence boost

Ben Spies said his eighth-place finish in the Portuguese Grand Prix was a confidence boost after his poor start to the 2012 MotoGP season, but admitted he made several major mistakes in the race.