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Ben Bostrom at 2004 Indiana Dealers Expo

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Author: Brian Ducharme

Publishing date: 02.19.2004 14:08

Ben signs the last of the 2003 Ben Bostrom replica's at the Malaguti booth during last weeks Indiana Dealers Expo.

Ben Bostrom at 2004 Indiana Dealers Expo

Ben Bostrom was born in Redding, California on May 7th, 1974. He rode his first bike at the age of 4, and took part in his first race at the age of 8. It was of no surprise, however, that Ben was an early starter. Both his uncle and father were pro dirt track riders, with Ben's father becoming the California State Champion. Even his 2 brothers, Eric and Tory, are professional racers… the Bostroms are a racing breed. His early childhood heroes, guys like Gary Nixon, Dick Mann, and Mert Lawill, were later joined by Bubba Shobert, Ricky Johnson, Kenny Roberts, and Freddie Spencer. All these heroes inspired him to succeed in bike racing and his determination soon began to earn him a name in American Dirt Track racing.

He turned professional in '92 and won the American Dirt Track Rookie of the Year award in '93. But in the background, the glamorous image of road racing was calling Ben and in '95 he rode both Dirt Track and Road Racing. Having scored well in his first year on asphalt, he switched to road racing full time in '96.

The season of '98 was the year that it all paid off for Ben when he scooped the prestigious AMA Superbike Championship as "Rookie of the Year" aboard a Honda. Things were definitely going in the right direction!

Switching to a Vance & Hines Ducati 996 for the first time in '99 he only just missed out on taking the AMA American Superbike title for the second successive year. Coming 2nd was a hard pill to swallow for Ben but if there were any doubts about his ability, they were blown away when, as the American "Wild Card" entry, he proved himself with an incredible win in the World Superbike round at Laguna Seca.

That fantastic ride was to help gain him a place in the World Superbike Championship with the Ducati Corse factory team, but there was a lot of work to be done. A new environment, new tracks, a new team and a new bike on new tires stacked up heavily against him. In an attempt to get back onto his favored Dunlops, he moved across into the Ducati NCR team for Hockenheim and, once back on Dunlop tires, Ben restored his hard riding style and his late charge in the series earned him podiums and an eventual 7th place in the World Championship.

In 2001 Ben returned to a new one-rider team under the Team Ducati L&M banner. His new backing put him on a Dunlop-shod Ducati 996R Factory 2001 bike with the mighty Ducati Corse team behind him. Ben's second year in the WSB found him more experienced and more confident.

In the season opener at Valencia, Ben earned himself a spot on the podium...it was clear that he was ready from the start. By mid year, Ben had found his stride at Misano, winning race 2. That was soon followed by a double-win at Laguna and another double-win at Brands Hatch. At the end of the year Ben had tallied 6 wins and an additional 3 podiums - numbers that rivaled many of his peers who had a great deal more experience in the arena of international racing.

Ben Bostrom poses at Malaguti Booth

Not only was Ben performing well on the track, but his off-track demeanor also drew attention. His charisma and personality earned him legions of fans. And he was voted by the official SBK organizers as the "Most Approachable Rider" for 2001.

The 2002 season was a disappointment for both Ben and his fans, with his results not quite matching his capabilities. This despite Ben putting in a tremendous amount of effort. So for 2003, Ben has returned home to recharge his batteries, race on the factory Honda squad, and win another AMA Superbike championship

for more information about Ben visit his official website:
www.benbostrom.com

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