[AMA Pro Racing]

1998 MBNA Superbike Tour Champions


Ben Bostrom Wins 1998 MBNA Superbike Title

WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- Honda-mounted Ben Bostrom took second-place at the series final round at Las Vega Motor Speedway, Oct. 4, and captured the MBNA Superbike series championship title. Bostrom entered the race tied with Muzzy Kawasaki rider Doug Chandler, and the two riders stuck close to each other through the first half of the race, until Chandler developed an oil leak on lap 14.

Bostrom gave the following account of the on-track action. "He (Doug) made a really good pass on me," said Bostrom," and then I followed him around for a couple laps and I noticed this light sprinkle happening on my lens, and I was like, you know, I think he has a bit of a problem. I don’t want to follow him to ruin my windshield so, I just used my Honda to power by him down the straightaway.

"I tried to signal Doug to show him he’s got a bit of a problem, because I noticed the left side of his tire starting to slick up a little bit and I didn’t want him to crash. He was still right behind me, so I was thinking maybe his problem went away and this is going to be a great race, you know, both of us trying to preserve our tires and the last 10 laps is just going to be the race of the season for the title, I hope.

"It just didn’t pan out unfortunately for Doug. He had trouble. It’s not really the way I wanted to win the thing but I’ll take it anyway I can get it."


Crevier Wins Pro Honda Oils 600 Supersport Title, Eric Bostrom Top-earner in Bonus Fund

WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- Yoshimura Suzuki's Steve Crevier wrapped up the 1998 American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Pro Honda Oils 600 SuperSport series championship at the Oct. 4 season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Crevier finished the season with 366 points -- 13 points more than series second-place rider Doug Chandler. Crevier had a victory at Mid-Ohio, and an additional four podium finishes over the course of the 13-race season. The Pro Honda Oils 600 SuperSport title is Crevier's first AMA national championship in his 12-year career.

Erion Honda rider Eric Bostrom is the top earner of the $15,000 Pro Honda Oils 600 SuperSport bonus fund. Bostrom -- who earned the award with six podium finishes, and four top-five finishes in the 13-race series -- will share the bonus fund with other eligible top-finishers in the Pro Honda Oils 600 SuperSport series. Eric finished the 1998 series ranked third overall.

American Honda rider Ben Bostrom -- Eric's brother and the 1998 AMA MBNA Superbike Series Champion -- is among the Pro Honda Oils bonus winners. Ben won the Road Atlanta round of the Pro Honda Oils 600 SuperSport series, and took third-place at the New Hampshire International Speedway race.

A list of Pro Honda Oils 600 SuperSport bonus winners follows. 

Eric Bostrom, Granada Hills, Calif.,   3,500
Nicky Hayden, Owensboro, Ky,           $2,500
Ben Bostrom, Granada Hills, Calif.,    $1,900
Jason Pridmore, Ventura, Calif.,       $1,500
Steve Rapp, Lafayette, Calif.,         $1,300
Kurtis Roberts, Hickman, Calif.,       $1,250
Miguel Duhamel, Canada,                $1,000
Rich Alexander, Carmel, N.Y.,          $850
Sean Kowalski, Schofield, Wis.,        $750
John Jacobi, Bloomington, Ind.,        $550 


Roland Sands Takes Lion's Share of Elf Race Fuels & Lubricants

WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- Roland Sands -- winner of the 1998 Elf Race Fuels & Lubricants Grand Prix championship title -- will take home the top season-end bonus presented by series sponsor Elf.

Sands and the Performance Machine Yamaha team won the series championship at the Sept. 6 Pikes Peak race, locking up the title with one round still left in the series. Sands completed the 1998 season with five victories and six additional podium finishes in the 12-race Elf Race Fuels & Lubricants Grand Prix season.

A list of 1998 Elf Race Fuels & Lubricants Grand Prix bonus winners follows. 

Roland Sands, La Palma, Calif.,           $2,500
Kurtis Roberts, Turlock, Calif.,          $1,700
Chuck Sorensen, Discovery Bay, Calif.,    $1,400
Randy Renfrow, Fredericksburg, Va.,       $1,100
Garald Terranova, San Jose, Calif.,       $900
Greg Esser, Pompano Beach, Fla.,          $750
Jeffrey Vos, Holland, Mich.,              $600
Takahito Mori, Japan,                     $450
Mark Foster, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., $350
Bobby Kieth, Redwood City, Calif.,        $250


Alexander Takes Teamline 750 SuperSport Championship Title and Bonus

WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- Amid a chaotic season of disqualifications and surprising turnarounds, Barnett Suzuki's Rich Alexander rose above the fray to become the 1998 Teamline 750 SuperSport champion. Along with the title, Alexander will receive the top bonus from series sponsor Teamline - the official source of AMA Pro Racing team gear.

Alexander had seven podium finishes in the 1998 Teamline 750 SuperSport series, and finished outside the top-five just once in the 12-race season. Alexander also has a win to his credit - granted after HyperCycle Suzuki riders Jason Pridmore and Nicky Hayden were diqualified and stripped of their respective first- and second-place finishes at Daytona. Alexander's actual third-place finish at Daytona was still lauded by insiders: He had managed the podium finish while competing with significant injuries from a practice crash earlier in the week.

Alexander led the Teamline 750 SuperSport series for the first half of the 1998 season, then relinquished the lead to San Gabriel Springs Suzuki rider Steve Rapp. Rapp held the series lead entering the season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but a mechanical failure prevented him from finishing the race, and the crown went to Alexander. Rapp finished the year in series second-place.

A list of 1998 TeamLine 750 SuperSport bonus recipients follows. 

Rich Alexander, Carmel, N.Y.         $2,500
Steve Rapp, Lafayette, Calif.        $1,700
Mario Duhamel, Canada                $1,400
Nicky Hayden, Owensboro, Ky.         $1,100
James Randolph, Santa Rosa, Calif.   $900
Jimmy Moore, Eugene, Ore.            $750
Paul Harrell, Canyon Country, Calif. $600
Jason Pridmore, Ventura, Calif.      $450
Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif.      $350
John Jacobi, Bloomington, Ind.       $250


Eric Bostrom Takes Top Pirelli Formula Xtreme Bonus

WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) 1998 Pirelli Formula Xtreme series champion Eric Bostrom will take home the top season-end bonus from series sponsor and performance tire manufacturer Pirelli.

Bostrom, riding for the Erion Honda team, captured the 1998 Pirelli Formula Xtreme championship at the Sept. 4 Pikes Peak race, putting a mathematical lock on the title with one race remaining in the 1998 season. Bostrom earned the title with nine series wins, and brought the Erion Honda team their second consecutive Pirelli Formula Xtreme championship. Erion rider Tripp Nobles was also a front-runner in Pirelli Formula Xtreme, and he finished the season as the runner-up for the series championship.

Bostrom now holds three national titles. He also won the 1997 AMA Harley-Davidson SuperTwins championship and the 1996 AMA Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance dirt-track series title.

A list of riders who received 1998 Pirelli Formula Xtreme bonuses follows. 

Eric Bostrom, Granada Hills, Calif.    $2,500
Tripp Nobles, Macon, Ga.               $1,700
Mark Miller, Long Beach, Calif.        $1,400
Dean Mizdal, Huntington Beach, Calif.  $1,100
Michael Taylor, Canada                 $900
Mario Duhamel, Canada                  $750
Chris Voelker, Bradley, Calif.         $600
Curtis Adams, Whittier, Calif.         $450
Tray Batey, Gallatin, Tenn.            $350
Mike Voelker, Paso Robles, Calif.      $250


Harrell Tops List of Progressive Insurance Pro Thunder Bonuses

WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- Orange County Triumph rider Paul Harrell will go on the books as the first champion of the AMA Progressive Insurance Pro Thunder series, and he will also collect the top bonus from series sponsor Progressive Insurance.

Harrell took wins at the Mid-Ohio and Pikes Peak rounds, and had an additional eight podium finishes in the 12-race, 1998 Progressive Insurance Pro Thunder series. Harrell's title marks the first AMA national championship for Triumph since Gene Romero took the Grand National Championship aboard the marque in 1970.

A list of 1998 Progressive Insurance Pro Thunder bonus winners follows. 

Paul Harrell, Canyon Country, Calif.  $2,500
Shawn Higbee, Waterford, Wis.         $1,700
Curtis Adams, Whittier, Calif.        $1,400
Michael Gage, Baldwin Place, N.Y.     $1,100
James Lickwar, San Francisco, Calif.  $900
Shawn Conrad, Sheboygan Falls, Wisc.  $750
Robert Gonzales, Tucson, Ariz.        $600
David Hull, Mesa, Ariz.               $450
Thomas David Hull, Mesa, Ariz.        $350
Mark Miller, Long Beach, Calif.       $250

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