2
With all three American riders in contract years, and all three currently underperforming, it doesn't look good for Edwards with the NGM Forward Team switching bikes and has no current contract for Colin for 2013. Hayden, it appears could get the boot at any moment from Ducati to make room for Crutchlow, and there is still only a chance that Yamaha will renew Spies' contract for 2013 and beyond.
Hayden continues to deny rumors that he will joining the WSBK ranks on a Ducati saying that the subject has never even been brought up, much less agreed upon, and rumors are now apparently swirling that Spies may be going to the BMW WSBK team for 2013.
Whatever happens to our American riders, two things remain certain;
1) With MotoGP being a Spanish-run enterprise, funded by Spanish investors and obviousley favoring Spanish riders - MotoGP continues to be a non-American-friendly series, and
2) With no Americans in the series in 2013, the running of each of the two rounds on American soil (and the possiblilty of a third round at the Curcuit of The Americas in Texas which is supposedly readying for a 2013 round as well), having no Americans racing will be tough to keep the currently growing interest of the American crowds.
Colin I can see, but with America being Ducati's largest market now, letting Hayden go for any other non-American rider may be a big mistake.
Let's hope they stick with him - he's only 8 points behind Rossi in the standings.