Ben Bostrom goes to Renegade Honda SBK

TahoesHateMe · 01-07-2005, 09:57 AM

According to Renegade team boss Mark Griffiths, Ben Bostrom has already signed to run in a single-rider Renegade Honda squad in the 2005 World Superbike Championship. Griffiths also outlined more of the team?s plans for 2005.

The much-rumored move on Bostrom was confirmed via a telephone conversation with Griffiths, calling from the team?s new base in Bologna, Italy.

Bostrom, a seven-time World Superbike race winner, will be looked after by what Griffiths describes as ?the majority of his previous team from the L&M Ducati days. We have also fought off pressure from Yamaha to keep Noriyuki Haga?s crew chief from last year.?

Title sponsorship is expected to come from Koji, as of last year, with other sponsorship packages still being worked on.

The team?s relocation to within a few miles of Ducati Corse?s headquarters is paradoxical, given that Renegade will be swapping Ducatis for Hondas this year, on grounds of expense.

Peculiarly, for a newly Italian-based team, the CBR1000RR engine development work will not be done in Italy, or even by Alpha Technik or Ten Kate, but is to be carried out in the UK. Chris Mayhew, who will be tuning CBR1000RR engines for Karl Harris in the British Championship 2005, is one of two people who are expected to carry out the engine work.

An unspecified level of support is also reportedly due from HEM (Honda Europe). With Bostrom on board, Honda?s already impressive 2005 line-up (albeit still not given full recognition by the home factory) has burgeoned beyond the existing Ten Kate (Karl Muggeridge and Chris Vermeulen) and recently confirmed Klaffi Honda (Pier-Francesco Chili and Neukirchner) line-ups.

Griffiths hopes to have Bostrom over in Bologna soon for a press unveiling, but does not expect him to have much in the way of pre-season testing.

?With the Qatar race coming so early in the year, I really think Ben will get to test his race bike for the first time at the pre-race Qatar tests. I am keen to get him out on some kind of bike before that, but because everything has happened quite recently, our own racebikes probably won?t be ready before we head off to Qatar.?

The Qatar tests take place on February 19-20, with a Saturday race on the 26th. There will be another ? final - official SBK/Pirelli test at Valencia in Spain, March 12-13.

Tryful · 01-07-2005, 07:56 PM

Anyone have any idea why he went to AMA and now is going back to Europe to race I don't really get that. I wanted to see him win this season in AMA and was looking forward to seeing him race this upcoming season but now I'll have to make sure I watch SBK now to.

TahoesHateMe · 01-07-2005, 08:42 PM

He did better in SBK and Honda gave Jake Zemke his ride for 05.

Tryful · 01-09-2005, 11:16 PM

Yeah you are right, he did do better in Europe. Can't deny that, ahhh well I've always rooted for the Bostrom bro's hopefully Eric will actually be competive this year.

01-07-2005, 09:57 AM	#1
TahoesHateMe Track Junkie Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,798 iTrader: (0) Rep Power: 6 (20)	Ben Bostrom goes to Renegade Honda SBK According to Renegade team boss Mark Griffiths, Ben Bostrom has already signed to run in a single-rider Renegade Honda squad in the 2005 World Superbike Championship. Griffiths also outlined more of the team?s plans for 2005. The much-rumored move on Bostrom was confirmed via a telephone conversation with Griffiths, calling from the team?s new base in Bologna, Italy. Bostrom, a seven-time World Superbike race winner, will be looked after by what Griffiths describes as ?the majority of his previous team from the L&M Ducati days. We have also fought off pressure from Yamaha to keep Noriyuki Haga?s crew chief from last year.? Title sponsorship is expected to come from Koji, as of last year, with other sponsorship packages still being worked on. The team?s relocation to within a few miles of Ducati Corse?s headquarters is paradoxical, given that Renegade will be swapping Ducatis for Hondas this year, on grounds of expense. Peculiarly, for a newly Italian-based team, the CBR1000RR engine development work will not be done in Italy, or even by Alpha Technik or Ten Kate, but is to be carried out in the UK. Chris Mayhew, who will be tuning CBR1000RR engines for Karl Harris in the British Championship 2005, is one of two people who are expected to carry out the engine work. An unspecified level of support is also reportedly due from HEM (Honda Europe). With Bostrom on board, Honda?s already impressive 2005 line-up (albeit still not given full recognition by the home factory) has burgeoned beyond the existing Ten Kate (Karl Muggeridge and Chris Vermeulen) and recently confirmed Klaffi Honda (Pier-Francesco Chili and Neukirchner) line-ups. Griffiths hopes to have Bostrom over in Bologna soon for a press unveiling, but does not expect him to have much in the way of pre-season testing. ?With the Qatar race coming so early in the year, I really think Ben will get to test his race bike for the first time at the pre-race Qatar tests. I am keen to get him out on some kind of bike before that, but because everything has happened quite recently, our own racebikes probably won?t be ready before we head off to Qatar.? The Qatar tests take place on February 19-20, with a Saturday race on the 26th. There will be another ? final - official SBK/Pirelli test at Valencia in Spain, March 12-13.

01-07-2005, 07:56 PM	#2
Tryful Canyon Carver Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Lakewood, Socal Posts: 515 iTrader: (0) Rep Power: 5 (10)	Anyone have any idea why he went to AMA and now is going back to Europe to race I don't really get that. I wanted to see him win this season in AMA and was looking forward to seeing him race this upcoming season but now I'll have to make sure I watch SBK now to. __________________ How do you know where you are? If you don't know where you started from? 2005 999 Duc- Black

01-09-2005, 11:16 PM	#4
Tryful Canyon Carver Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Lakewood, Socal Posts: 515 iTrader: (0) Rep Power: 5 (10)	Yeah you are right, he did do better in Europe. Can't deny that, ahhh well I've always rooted for the Bostrom bro's hopefully Eric will actually be competive this year. __________________ How do you know where you are? If you don't know where you started from? 2005 999 Duc- Black

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01-07-2005, 08:42 PM	#3
TahoesHateMe Track Junkie Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,798 iTrader: (0) Rep Power: 6 (20)	He did better in SBK and Honda gave Jake Zemke his ride for 05.