Ben Bostrom is one of the stars of U.S. motorcycle racing. He’s an AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) Superbike champ and has snagged the podium on the elite World Superbike tour. So when Motorcyclist magazine featured him, what photo did they use? Ben clutching a trophy? Ben slicing through a corner on the track? Ben geared up in leathers and a helmet? Nope. They shot Ben shirtless and climbing a rock. Climbing – with its intense mental and physical demands – is one of Ben’s favorite cross-training activities. And with his high cheekbones, chiseled jaw, and buff physique, he happens to look very photogenic doing it. But this athlete is no poser. In addition to racking up impressive wins on pavement, in 2003 Ben proved his all-around mastery of the motorcycle by topping a superstar lineup of dirt and road racers alike at the inaugural AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship.
Family tradition
Ben comes from a family of riders: his father won the California dirt bike championship, and his uncle, cousin, and two brothers have all been involved in motorcycle racing. Born in Redding, California, in 1974, Ben learned to ride before he entered kindergarten and excelled in dirt bike events as a teenager, winning the AMA National 600 Dirt Track Championship in 1993. He made his first foray into road racing in 1995, and in 1996 he came in fourth in the AMA Supersport 600 Championship, as well as second in the AMA Super Twins. In 1997, Ben competed in no fewer than three different AMA series, and only one year later he captured the AMA Superbike Championship, U.S. motorcycle racing’s premier title. He followed it up with a second-place AMA Superbike finish in 1999.
It was time to think globally. In 2000, Ben was signed by Ducati to compete in the World Superbike Championship. Instead of touring the U.S., he’d be touring continents, with twelve events in eight short months. It’s an incredible adjustment for most riders – new equipment, new tracks, new competitors – but Ben seemed to take it all in stride, finishing the year with four podium finishes to land at seventh place overall. In 2001, he chalked up six series wins, leapfrogging to third overall.
But 2002 proved to be less successful than Ben had hoped, and when it became apparent that a number of motorcycle manufacturers were going to use 2003 to concentrate on equipment redesign rather than World Superbike teams, Ben decided to participate in the AMA Superbike series once more.
Family Rivalry
While Ben was competing overseas, his little brother Eric had been piling up AMA Superbike podium finishes. Eric is just as hungry to take the championship for the first time as Ben is to recapture it, which is why they make perfect training partners. “We’re best friends,” Ben notes, “but we’re competitive about everything, on and off the track.” Eric and Ben live together (in Las Vegas), train together, climb together, surf together, and generally share just about everything except motorcycle sponsors. “All in all, we don’t have much downtime,” Eric grins.
The result? Both finished 2003 in the Superbike top ten. In early July, Eric was first in the standings; but disaster struck when he was a victim in a competition pile-up. The impact sent Eric to the emergency room with a host of injuries and caused him to miss the last six races while he healed, leaving him seventh in the overall standings. Ben, riding his trademark #155, found it difficult to acclimate to his new RC51 ride, yet he won the first pole position of the season and continually challenged the field to end up fourth in points. He capped it off in November by coming from behind for a uniquely satisfying win at the AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship in Las Vegas. Supermoto began in the 1970s as a way to identify the best rider from all of the racing disciplines: motocross, road, and flat track. But 2003 was the first year it was officially designated as a national-level sport in the United States.
“It was definitely a wild race,” Ben remembers. “There were top road and dirt riders from all over the world, and since it was the last U.S. event of the season, everyone was really pumped. It felt incredible to finish 2003 with a win like that, right in my home town.”
He adds, “And now I’ve got a new four-cylinder bike that’s more fun than anything I’ve ever ridden. It looks like Eric and I will just keep chasing each other for the foreseeable future!”
