Ben Bostrom Speculation

Heavy-Dee · 10-06-2004, 2:21 PM

With B.Boz as yet unsigned it looks highly unlikely that he will be w/ Honda next year. I did hear a rumor that he may go to Suzuki, but I doubt that. Anyone else care to speculate? I personally have no idea. I'd like to think that Suzuki would dump Yates in favor of Ben, but somehow I doubt that. I think Speis is moving up to Superbike, and of course Mladin will remain.

Perhaps Yamaha if they decide to field a Superbike. Maybe a Ducati team w/ brother Eric if the Austin Duc team expands? What think you foos?

HD

TGZ13 · 10-06-2004, 2:24 PM

I think he will stay... Towards the end of the season once he got his head sorted out he was railing that 1000rr. Maybe he is just holding out for more $$

And suzuki does need to dump yates but they wont.

If spies moves up think he will stay suzuki? And if so team suzuki go 3 up? Not like they will ditch Miladin and yates must be banging someone over at suzuki

Heavy-Dee · 10-06-2004, 2:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TGZ13

I think he will stay... Towards the end of the season once he got his head sorted out he was railing that 1000rr. Maybe he is just holding out for more $$

And suzuki does need to dump yates but they wont.

If spies moves up think he will stay suzuki? And if so team suzuki go 3 up? Not like they will ditch Miladin and yates must be banging someone over at suzuki

I heard someone that Suzuki would field three superbikes. However, I'm doubting that. I'm guessing that Yates gets relegated to only Supersport, and Spies takes the Superbike spot.

There's no way Suzuki is going to let Spies go right now. I think they are counting on him being the next Mladin.

HD

TGZ13 · 10-06-2004, 2:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heavy-Dee

There's no way Suzuki is going to let Spies go right now. I think they are counting on him being the next Mladin.

HD

He definately has skill.

ccwilli3 · 10-06-2004, 2:47 PM

B Boz has shown me nothing this year... The greatness of WSBK 2001 is no where to be found!

He'll go to Suzuki i'd bet. I've heard that as well. Seriously doubt that Honda will ask him to re-up, and he has NO bargaining power to hold out for money. He better get what he can. He looked good at daytona, but after that, he's been hit or miss!

I think Suzuki will do SOMETHING with yates for sure. Very under performing this year. Spies or even Geoff May deserve that ride!

Heavy-Dee · 10-06-2004, 2:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ccwilli3

B Boz has shown me nothing this year... The greatness of WSBK 2001 is no where to be found!

He'll go to Suzuki i'd bet. I've heard that as well. Seriously doubt that Honda will ask him to re-up, and he has NO bargaining power to hold out for money. He better get what he can. He looked good at daytona, but after that, he's been hit or miss!

I think Suzuki will do SOMETHING with yates for sure. Very under performing this year. Spies or even Geoff May deserve that ride!

I'd love to see May get a factory ride. I'd have to agree that Ben has no barganing power. There aren't a ton of open slots in AMA right now. Any chance a WSBK team would pick him up?

QuikMike · 10-06-2004, 3:07 PM

while we're on the subject of Bostrom...what do you guys think will happen with EBoz? think he'll be back next year on the Austin Ducati 999R? or maybe someone else offers him a ride? wouldn't it be cool to see him and Josh Hayes on a factory 10R?(although that'll probably be Tommy Hayden).....

If BBoz goes out and wins one or both of the races this weekend, it wouldn't surprise me to see him on Zemke's old slot, the Erion Team....but I do agree that he won't be on a factory 1000RR next year...that'll be Zemke and Miguel for sure...

TGZ13 · 10-06-2004, 3:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heavy-Dee

I'd love to see May get a factory ride. I'd have to agree that Ben has no barganing power. There aren't a ton of open slots in AMA right now. Any chance a WSBK team would pick him up?

Speaking of privateers and semi-privateers (if thats even a term..lol) I was kind of glad the way the season went considering that the majority of the field were guys running non-factory bikes. Some of those boys can really ride

I think May has a good shot of moving up although I have no idea what team he would go to being there shouldnt be to much movement

Red Rider · 10-06-2004, 3:30 PM

Who knows, maybe BBoz will get hired by Michael Jordan along with Jason Pridmore!

Rios929 · 10-06-2004, 4:40 PM

Well, Bboz certainly has good incentive to do his best at VIR.

I would really like to see Mladin go to GP. I know it's not gonna happen (he doesn't even seem to want to go). I haven't been a big Mladin fan over the years, but I think he definately has the skill to go to GP.

TGZ13 · 10-06-2004, 4:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rios929

Well, Bboz certainly has good incentive to do his best at VIR.

I would really like to see Mladin go to GP. I know it's not gonna happen (he doesn't even seem to want to go). I haven't been a big Mladin fan over the years, but I think he definately has the skill to go to GP.

Leave for an uncertain future in GP or stay with a dominating team and stay king of AMA

Heavy-Dee · 10-06-2004, 4:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rios929

Well, Bboz certainly has good incentive to do his best at VIR.

I would really like to see Mladin go to GP. I know it's not gonna happen (he doesn't even seem to want to go). I haven't been a big Mladin fan over the years, but I think he definately has the skill to go to GP.

I think he was already there and sucked. He won't go back. He's got nothing to prove. Racing is a job to him. Besides, he's to old to "begin" a career in GP.

Rios929 · 10-06-2004, 5:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TGZ13

Leave for an uncertain future in GP or stay with a dominating team and stay king of AMA

An uncetain future in the world's premier motorcycle racing series seems better to me

It's getting boring watching him win the AMA championship. It would be more fun to see him move on.

Kenny Roberts Jr. is probably just as old as Mladin and he hasn't done anything their for 3 years.

CBR929RE · 10-06-2004, 7:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rios929

Well, Bboz certainly has good incentive to do his best at VIR.

I would really like to see Mladin go to GP. I know it's not gonna happen (he doesn't even seem to want to go). I haven't been a big Mladin fan over the years, but I think he definately has the skill to go to GP.

Duhamel has the skill to and how many years has he been in the AMA. must just like it there. in every interview he seems to just love to race/ride.

Where'd the rumor of Zemke going to the "factory" Honda team come from? Erion is a factory backed team though.

My guess is that everyone pretty much stays where they are except for Yates and Spies, who I think will basically flip flop positions. I would love to see a real factory Kawi team with ZX10 but as it stands Hayes is the only close one. and Attack Kawasaki might be considered a factory backed team but they don't get near the support a team such as Erion gets from Honda.

Heavy-Dee · 10-06-2004, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CBR929RE

Duhamel has the skill to and how many years has he been in the AMA. must just like it there. in every interview he seems to just love to race/ride.

Where'd the rumor of Zemke going to the "factory" Honda team come from? Erion is a factory backed team though.

My guess is that everyone pretty much stays where they are except for Yates and Spies, who I think will basically flip flop positions. I would love to see a real factory Kawi team with ZX10 but as it stands Hayes is the only close one. and Attack Kawasaki might be considered a factory backed team but they don't get near the support a team such as Erion gets from Honda.

Duhamel has been to GP's and also sucked. I think ole Matty and Miggy both "know their roles" and don't want to go back. The diff between Kenny Jr. is that he has been racing on the world tracks much much longer. He has a wild head start on Mladin. Mladin doesn't know those tracks.

Yates won't do squat next year, and Spies isn't ready to take a Superbike championship, so Suzuki is going to leave Mladin right where he's at, give him a new bike and a shot at a SIXTH title. At the same time, Spies may learn a thing or two.

I think Zemke will move to the factory ride (Ben's slot). Honda was hella eager to sign him, and he shows tons of promise, while Ben remains unsigned. The Erion team is 'mostly' factory supported. Similar situation to the Repsol/Telefonica boys in GP. Teammates, but only to a point when it comes to help from Mother Honda. Honda knows who is on the red bike, and who is on black and will treat each accordingly. The red bike will always get priority over the black. Right now, I'd say that Ben isn't far removed from Anthony Gobert. He'll probalby swap slots w/ Zemke, take the slot on the Erion team and if he still isn't getting it done he'll have a hard time finding a ride the following year.

And it pains me to say this as I'm a big fan.

HD

Heavy-Dee · 10-06-2004, 10:55 PM

Quote:

There may be as many as three Honda World Superbike teams in 2005, including the current Team Ten Kate effort. Team Klaffi is rumored to be talking about—or is that just dreaming about—Ben Bostrom for 2005, while GP powerhouse Team Gresini supposedly want to start a Honda World Superbike effort as well.

Soup Silly Season Rumors

oldgoat · 10-07-2004, 8:56 AM

Can't help but wonder what happened to Eric and Ben Boz this year. Eric needs to get back on a Jap bike and as I recall Ben did the best on A Ducati.(I hope thats right about Ben) Maybe next year.

CBR929RE · 10-07-2004, 8:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heavy-Dee

Duhamel has been to GP's and also sucked. I think ole Matty and Miggy both "know their roles" and don't want to go back. The diff between Kenny Jr. is that he has been racing on the world tracks much much longer. He has a wild head start on Mladin. Mladin doesn't know those tracks.

Yates won't do squat next year, and Spies isn't ready to take a Superbike championship, so Suzuki is going to leave Mladin right where he's at, give him a new bike and a shot at a SIXTH title. At the same time, Spies may learn a thing or two.

I think Zemke will move to the factory ride (Ben's slot). Honda was hella eager to sign him, and he shows tons of promise, while Ben remains unsigned. The Erion team is 'mostly' factory supported. Similar situation to the Repsol/Telefonica boys in GP. Teammates, but only to a point when it comes to help from Mother Honda. Honda knows who is on the red bike, and who is on black and will treat each accordingly. The red bike will always get priority over the black. Right now, I'd say that Ben isn't far removed from Anthony Gobert. He'll probalby swap slots w/ Zemke, take the slot on the Erion team and if he still isn't getting it done he'll have a hard time finding a ride the following year.

And it pains me to say this as I'm a big fan.

HD

I can see the Jake/Ben swap happening. if Zemke is in second ont he slightly "lower" bike than the official Honda he should be even closer if not overtaking Mladin next year. The gsxr1000 has ergos more comfortable for street riding next year so I don't know how well that will translate into the race bike (I assume they can switch the above the triple tree clip ons to ones below it and probably do whatever other changes to it) but Yoshimura Suzuki is the best "team." I am still amazed at how fast they changed Mladins tire during the Daytona 200, 11 seconds what the hell is that, they must be on some drugs or something. I think the Flash! was working on the team.

Hamburgler · 10-07-2004, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CBR929RE

I can see the Jake/Ben swap happening. if Zemke is in second ont he slightly "lower" bike than the official Honda he should be even closer if not overtaking Mladin next year. The gsxr1000 has ergos more comfortable for street riding next year so I don't know how well that will translate into the race bike (I assume they can switch the above the triple tree clip ons to ones below it and probably do whatever other changes to it) but Yoshimura Suzuki is the best "team." I am still amazed at how fast they changed Mladins tire during the Daytona 200, 11 seconds what the hell is that, they must be on some drugs or something. I think the Flash! was working on the team.

I agree. I could really see myself supporting the Yoshimura team if they had a more charismatic rider. I don't care if he does have more championships, I like Duhamel a lot better.

CBR929RE · 10-07-2004, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hamburgler

I agree. I could really see myself supporting the Yoshimura team if they had a more charismatic rider. I don't care if he does have more championships, I like Duhamel a lot better.

agreed right back. Duhamel seems like such a nicer guy. the best interview this year was him and Zemke together, when Zemke jokingly accused Duhamel of throwing stuff at him to keep him back when Duhamel lost his knee puck, that **** was hilarious. I agree with the comments someone said earlier about racing being just a job for Mladin. Duhamel is just like a kid, he's all smiles all the time because he gets to race bikes as a career and he's happy just to be out there dicing it up.

Heavy-Dee · 10-08-2004, 9:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CBR929RE

I agree with the comments someone said earlier about racing being just a job for Mladin. Duhamel is just like a kid, he's all smiles all the time because he gets to race bikes as a career and he's happy just to be out there dicing it up.

But Mladin wins. It's hard to argue w/ that. The guy is consistantly fast and has not crashed yet this year if my memory serves me correctly.

Duhamel is a fan's rider for sure. I love him, but Mladin is going to have 5 championships. I think Miggy has 1 superbike title. I could be wrong about this.

Here's the thing. Honda knows that Miguel is old, and his days are numbered. He's probably got another 2 years and then he'll be done. They also don't want to put all their eggs into one basket w/ Zemke. He had a great year, but as soon as next year starts that doesn't mean ****. He could suck next year. I think they want one more "up and comer" or "middle-of-road" guy that has potential to win. I think they pretty much know that Miguel is going to be mostly reliable, and they're hoping that Zemke turns out to be another of the greats, but they are a three (or 2.5) bike squad. So who is the third? I'm guessing they stick w/ Ben but pay him a lot less on the Erion squad. Such a shame. I hope he comes out next year and smokes 'em all. Did you know he dated Leanne Tweeden? Lucky bastard.

HD