The Renegade World Superbike team has announced exclusively to
Crash.net that its most likely - and favoured - rider for the 2005 season is American Superbike star Ben Bostrom.
Team owner Mark Griffiths commented that Bostrom, a former multiple WSBK race winner with Ducati, was "the most likely route for us," for a definite Renegade entry into the 2005 World Superbike championship.
Griffiths also added that the team would 'wild-card' in a couple of the British Superbike rounds, as they did this season at
Brands Hatch and
Oulton Park.
As well as Bostrom, Griffiths indicated that he is in talks with the gregarious Pierfrancesco Chili who wants a Honda ride next season.
Renegade are currently discussing offers made to them by Ducati Course and Ten Kate Honda for their machinery next season, both offers are described by Griffiths as "very good," but the choice will depend on which rider the team are able to obtain.
If the team are able to sign Bostrom the team are likely to receive bikes and support straight from Japan. If Bostrom is not possible, Renegade will take a package from Ten Kate and possibly run Chili, who is still searching for a Honda place and has also been linked to a Kaffi WSBK ride.
However, if none of these options bear fruit, Griffiths detailed that he is also in talks with two South-African riders, although he was unable to give any clues to their identity at this moment in time - and he still has first refusal on
Noriyuki Haga for next year.
An update is expected shortly...
