RAMSEY resident Cal Crutchlow stands a good chance of competing in MotoGP next year.
Cal, who currently competes for Yamaha in World Superbikes, is being closely linked with a ride with the satellite Tech 3 Yamaha squad in the MotoGP motorcycle racing series.
Originally from Coventry, Cal now has a home in Ramsey. He is the reigning World Supersport Champion and recently won both races at the Silverstone round of the World Superbike championship.
It is widely believed MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi will be swapping from the factory Yamaha team to Ducati - though an official announcement has yet to be made.
This would free up a place in the factory team for American Tech 3 rider Ben Spies leaving a least one Tech 3 ride open.
If this happens Spies would partner Rossi's current team mate and championship leader Jorge Lorenzo.
Cal recently told the motorsport website Crash.net: "I am an honest guy. I won't say I'm not talking to a couple of the MotoGP teams because then I'd be lying.
"I'm speaking closely with Yamaha to go there next year. They know what I can do on the bike, they have the data every week. They see what happens with the bike in World Superbike racing and I won a World Superpsort title for them too, the first one in quite a few years.
“The Supersport guys were struggling for a few years, so when I came in and did well for them throughout the whole championship, they were happy and moved me up to the Superbike team, so the natural progression is to move me up again."
The same website is also carrying a report, taken from French website moto.caradisiac.com where Tech 3 Yamaha boss Herve Poncharal said: "He is the favourite. And of course our tital sponsor favours him . . . Cal is the first choice if Rossi goes to Ducati."
Cal had been offered the chance to ride the Tech 3 machine earlier this season for a few rounds as well as continuing with World Superbikes but decided to turn down the chance to concentrate on his World Superbike campaign. Click here for the full story.
