Ben Bostrom to World Superbike: Done Deal

As we exclusively reported here last week, Ben Bostrom has in hand a contract from Ducati Italy that will see him ride with Carl Fogarty in 2000 and 2001 on the factory Ducati team. It is understood that Bostrom will be signing the contract and returning it to Ducati this week. From that point on, Bostrom is a former AMA championship rider.

According to my sources, taking his place at Vance and Hines Ducati will be (as reported first here weeks ago) Australian Troy Bayliss, who won the UK Superbike championship this year for Ducati.; he will be joined by former Yoshimura Suzuki rider Steve Rapp. Bayliss was reached by a UK reporter yesterday and said he is currently not under contract for 2000, to anybody.

This unexpected turn of events leaves former World Superbike champion Troy Corser out of the mix at Ducati, according to insiders. It is unknown where he will ride next year. Corser, again according to insiders in WSC, thought he had a commitment from Ducati for 2000 at Sugo, only to learn later that they still had things to iron out. One of those things seems to be where Troy will ride next year.
When interviewed by amasuperbike.com at the Laguna Seca round of the WSC series, Ducati CEO Frederico Minoli stated about Corser and Fogarty and their 2000 contracts, "Well, Foggy is our flag and I think he will be with us forever. Troy, we hope to keep. We'd love to keep him. "

Behind the scenes, insiders state that this is the exact ride Ducati had planned for Anthony Gobert, but when he fell out of favor with the factory, they went looking for another rider to team with Foggy in 2000. The Ducati factory, which is owned by Texas Pacific Group, an American conglomerate, pushed hard for an American rider and Bostrom obviously headed that list. Persons at Corse, Ducati's racing arm, were solidly behind Corser, but were convinced otherwise in due time.

It's refreshing to see a company push hard to get an American rider in world championship racing again isn't it? If Bostrom does well there (which you know he will) then perhaps that will open the door for other American riders in World Superbike racing.

Bayliss and Rapp getting the plum rides at Vance and Hines Ducati leaves several riders scrambling for position, including Willow Springs rider Larry Pegram, former Yamaha Superbike pilot Rich Oliver and current 750 Supersport champion Tom Kipp, all who were positioning for the VHRD ride.
It is understood that Rich Oliver is about to give 250 competitors the worst news they have heard in two years as he is tentatively planning on returning to the AMA 250 GP class, but has yet to sign a contract with a manufacturer. Pegram has World Supersport opportunities, and perhaps a shot at a third VR1000 ride, and Kipp is undecided as to what he will do in 2000.

More in a few hours.

--Dean Adams