Graves Motorsport Yamaha

Ben Bostrom

Josh Herrin

Ben Bostrom Height: 5' 11" Weight: 155 lb. Residence: Malibu, California Date of Birth: 5/7/1974 Place of Birth: Petaluma, California Turned Pro: 1991 Marital Status: single Mechanic(s): Skye Girard Crew Chief: Oliver Hutchinson Favorite Track: Kyalami, South Africa Training: biking, surfing, riding, "Making Eric Suffer" Hobbies: modeling, real estate, rollerblading Description: Since his early days on the dirt track circuit, Ben Bostrom has been that rare combination of affable, laid-back guy in the paddock and fierce, no-holdsbarred competitor on the racetrack. Like his younger brother and teammate, Eric Bostrom, collectively known as the “Boz Bros.,” Ben grew up riding with, learning from, and idolizing the dirt track legends of the ’60s and ’70s. By the time he’d hit his late teens, Ben—the 1993 AMA Flat Track Rookie of the Year—was traveling up and down the East Coast to as many dirt track races as possible, hoping to earn a few hundred dollars at each event just so he could make it to the next. Ben’s big break was a chance to show what he could do in the AMA’s highly competitive 600 Supersport class. His performance soon earned the attention of factory squads and 1998 found Bostrom on the grid as a fullfledged Superbike rider. You couldn’t have designed a tougher year for a Superbike rookie: His veteran teammate suffered a season-ending injury, so the eyes of his sponsoring factory turned to Ben, who was soon involved in a high-pressure, down-to-the-last-race battle with the reigning champ. In the end, though, it was Ben the rookie who triumphed, a feat virtually unheard of in AMA Superbike history. Ben charged into the ’99 season, scoring seven Superbike class podium finishes and taking a surprise victory at the U.S. round of the World Superbike series, but in the end missed a second title by mere points. Though eager to win it back, he was called to Europe to race World Superbike for the next three years and ended the 2001 season ranked third in WSBK championship points. The following two years brought him back to America where he scored a dozen Superbike podium finishes and picked up the 2003 AMA Supermoto Championship. The following year saw him revisit World Superbike and return home to notch the Inaugural Supermoto Gold Medal at the 2004 X-Games. Last year marked Ben’s first season with Yamaha and the Graves Motorsports Team. It proved to be a good fit, and he put the YZF-R1 on the podium five times for second overall in the 1000cc Superstock class. For 2008, Ben will pilot the YZF-R6 in the ultra-competitive 600 Supersport class where he should be a top runner in the championship chase.