In a published interview taken at Laguna Seca last weekend, the Bostrom brothers acknowledged that Eric is talking to WSB teams about the possibilities of a WSB ride in 2002. The two brothers even speculated, half-jokingly, about Eric joining Ben’s Ducati team in 2002.
There is no doubt that Eric Bostrom has the talent to compete in WSB alongside his older brother. Imagine this… given the right equipment, Eric and Ben could conceivably battle for the championship. Has anything like this ever happened in the history of roadracing? We don’t think so.
Unfortunately, it may mean Kawasaki will lose another talented rider if it fails to re-sign Eric for 2002. It is widely believed that motocrosser Ricky Carmichael will leave Kawasaki for the Honda team next year. Given Eric’s talent, however, he needs to move to the world championship series, eventually. Moreover, it is likely Ben has convinced Eric that a V-Twin (preferably a Ducati) is the bike to ride when he gets there. Even Suzuki’s Pierfrancesco Chili has bemoaned the fact that the 750cc, four-cylinder machines are down on power versus the V-Twins.
In any event, if Eric does go to WSB next year, the American fans will only see the Bostrom clan once a year at Laguna Seca. Their poise and dedication to their fans is matched only by their prodigous talent, and this would certainly be a loss to the dedicated AMA Superbike fans.
To read the full text of the Bostrom brothers interview, click here.
