B. Bostrom - Will He Return?

f1manoz · 1 Oct 2002, 13:29 (Ref:393065)

Imola was Ben Bostrom's last race in the World Superbike Championship as in 2003 he will be heading back to the AMA in America. After his success last season, 2002 has been barren, with only one podium visit, and ordinary results throughout the year.

Question is: will Bostrom be able to recover his form, as towards the end of this year he looked like a shattered man, no matter what positives he could think of? Also, will he ever return to the WSB, or will he spend the rest of his career in the USA?

asha · 1 Oct 2002, 14:13 (Ref:393092)

"washed up" is the name for it.

hysen · 1 Oct 2002, 14:32 (Ref:393108)

I think he's to old now to return home, re-invent himself, and then come back to the world stage like Hodgson has done.

asha · 2 Oct 2002, 01:30 (Ref:393618)

yeah washed up!

racer69 · 2 Oct 2002, 09:36 (Ref:393799)

I don't think he's that old. He'll have to impress next year to get back onto the world stage, he'll probably need a wildcard at Laguna as well, that certainly helped Hayden to get his MotoGP ride.

I have read that his contract is for 1 year with a 2 year option, which if taken up requires him to be in MotoGP or WSB in 2005

hysen · 2 Oct 2002, 19:59 (Ref:394314)

In 2005 he will be 31. I doubt many teams will look at him then.

f1manoz · 3 Oct 2002, 06:10 (Ref:394650)

True, but don't forget Bayliss is 32 (I think) and he's landing his first ever MotoGP ride. And that would only have made him 29 when he got his first full international ride. With age comes experience.

**gomick** · 4 Oct 2002, 08:38 (Ref:395523)

ben bostrom was never a troy bayliss... ie: a proven race winner in lower classes. somehow ben managed to win 5 wsb races in a row last year, but if you look at his whole career in ama and wsb you will see that there maybe 10 race wins.....

and he wont win the ama superbike title next year either

ben will just continue producing consistent results which may give him a top 5 championship finish.

f1manoz · 4 Oct 2002, 09:20 (Ref:395543)

Well, at least he is consistent... there are some others out there who are just as fast, if not faster, who don't bring home those consistent results.

Personally, I think Ben will probably be happy to ride in the AMA now. He's had his foray in the WSB, won a few races, but I always got the feeling he missed home too much.

racer69 · 4 Oct 2002, 12:25 (Ref:395707)

When the bike was right, he was no doubt one of the best riders and could win races, same if his confidence was up.

last year, he won the 3 in a row, then went to Brands, a clockwise circuit, which doesn't really like, but his confidnece was up and he won, then of course it was the summer break, so his momentum was lost, and he hasn't been the same since

This year the tyres were not very good, which affected him. Also i think Kyalami really knocked him around, he was up the front in race 1 but was soundly beaten by everyone over the course of the race. A sign of how down he was was at Laguna, he was nowhere that weekend, when we expected him to excell.

asha · 4 Oct 2002, 13:12 (Ref:395748)

All I have to say is Ben Bostrom = dunlop
He seems to be just one of these riders that can't make the transition to the french rubber (Mich).

Anyway those AMA guys get paid as much as world supers.

Russfeld · 8 Oct 2002, 06:03 (Ref:398084)

Bostrom was AMA champ and followed it up with 2nd the next year.He won several races at WSBK level. He's not a fluke. The italians seem to like him, he was the second most recommended driver to team with Bayliss in GP (after Capirossi)

If he's good the age wont be a problem. Just look at McWilliams.

**gomick** · 9 Oct 2002, 07:06 (Ref:398963)

ama champ with no race wins, 2nd the following year with 1 race win - consistent results..... give me a race winner like anthony gobert any day

**gomick** · 9 Oct 2002, 07:06 (Ref:398964)

i am serious

f1manoz · 9 Oct 2002, 07:53 (Ref:399005)

I'm inclined to agree. Gobert has proven to be very fast on his day, but I feel consistency has always been a problem - but saying that, he has never been on the best bike (from my recollection anyway).

I think many of us, particulary Aussies, are hopeful that Gobert will get one final fling on the world stage. He has bundles of talent, but has to get the right manufacturer backing to allow that talent to blosson.

asha · 9 Oct 2002, 09:51 (Ref:399078)

consistency is definately Goberts weakness

racer69 · 9 Oct 2002, 13:57 (Ref:399315)

Sure is, though alot of the time it hasn't been performance that has been the cause. In 97 and 98 it was the suspensions, in 2001 and 02 it has been for injuries.

I'd say he would just about be favourite for the 03 AMA series though. Any further word on the Suzuki AMA program?

Tobesterr1 · 10 Oct 2002, 12:59 (Ref:400251)

Anthony Gobert is one of the most talented motorcycle racers on the planet, no doubt but his lifestyle choices have held back his career. He ****ed off just about every Japanese factory along the way too. Drinking and herbal cigarettes were more important than winning titles, his talent made it all too easy for him, a lack of strong management didn't help either if only Wayne Gardner had picked him up like he did Broc Parkes it could of been different. 2 years ago however he suddenly woke up and realised what he was doing and made a few statements to the effect that he was sorry for his lack of dedication and that immaturity had held him back. It takes quite a man to admit to that. Unfortunately he has been plagued by injury over the last 2 years holding him back from the form he was hitting whilst riding the Vance and Hines Ducati in 1999 with Ben. He's 27 years old and for me one of the biggest talents around and I've followed his career for a long time now and I am fully prepared to stick my neck out and say that he will win the AMA title this year, this is his last chance to push for another shot at WSBK and he would get that chance with Hodgson in 2004 with Ducati Infostrada if he won or came close to winning the AMA series. WSBK needs Anthony Gobert and Gobert needs WSBK. As for Ben he told me in the paddock at Imola that he has unfinished business in WSBK and he will be back no doubt, Ben is an enigma to me, I love his riding style and he is fast but he is also a guy that cannot perform without having 100% confidence in the bike and tyres. If he gets down on himself he implodes, can he teach himself to ride around problems, well that's a good question and open for debate but he must learn to focus even when the chips are down to be able to command a top seat when he returns to WSBK and ultimately I believe him, he will. Eric can actually teach him a few things in my opinion and I hope Ben, Eric and Gobert all get rides in 2004 in WSBK or in Eric's case on the Kawasaki probably in GP alongside Andrew Pitt. A Japanese rider may pip him though, politics are rife in Japanese GP factories as we all know, whatever I'm looking forward to another great season of AMA and WSBK..............and MOTO GP, god they have some talent in there next year, should be awesome.Go on Bayliss, Hayden and now Edwards probably on the Aprilia, give 'em hell boys!!!

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