Photo of the Week: Think Outside the Oval

Ben Bostrom signed on to ride for a certain AMA Superbike team owner by the name of Michael Jordan in 2011, trading in his signature number 155 for his employer’s legendary 23. “I think having MJ as a boss is awesome!” he enthused, when speaking about his then-upcoming debut.

As with any new rider and team pairing, there were rough patches to work through, but it was clear early on that the combination had potential. By the second round of the season Ben had put the Jumpman bike on the front row of the starting grid, outpaced only by proven factory machines.

The scene of the crime was Infineon Raceway, one of the few “street course” tracks that hosts NASCAR events, and hence the appropriate slogan painted onto the concrete wall lining the front straight. The three minute horn had just gone off and all around me was the commotion of a Superbike grid getting ready to race.

Meanwhile Ben was still sitting on the wall making last-minute adjustments to his helmet, unknowingly creating an amusing photo op. It wouldn’t last long; just moments later he would rejoin the grid while photographers were ushered off the track to the roars of Superbike engines coming to life.

Dan Lo is a motorsport photographer who covers AMA Superbike, World Superbike, and MotoGP. His online portfolio is at CornerSpeedPhoto.com and he can also be found on Facebook and Twitter. For this year, Dan is looking to expand his coverage to the Isle of Man TT via Kickstarter. If you like his work, please donate and help send Dan to this year’s TT.