Sometimes *@!$ happens. Sometimes it happens every day, for weeks, or even longer. How much “control” do we really have? Talk to any shrink and they will tell you we have NONE. But we can increase our odds, certainly. We can eat right, exercise, sleep an acceptable amount, do our homework, and then keep lining up. We line up even when we get our teeth kicked in. If we want to win, we just shake off life’s challenges and we go back for more, and hope we have a few teeth left when we’re done, and back on the winning track.

We went into this year’s MotoGP season with great anticipation for Ben Spies. Bigger motor, more experience, more refined team, bigger fan club, and a new brand. Expectations can be a profoundly heavy weight to carry...