Eric Bostrom to make MotoGP debut.

AMA Superbike ace Eric Bostrom looks set to make his grand prix debut next season with at least one wild card ride on the new ZX-RR.

Eric - aka 'Boss Hogg' - took eventual AMA champion Nicky Hayden right to the final round of the 2002 series on his factory Kawasaki, while also finding time to turn heads with wild card rides in the WSBK championship.

His efforts in front of his home fans at Laguna Seca on the underpowered four cylinder proved beyond doubt that he's got the potential to stand out from his older brother Ben's shadow.

EB will now combine a new AMA campaign with occasional rides in WSBK and MotoGP in 2003 as his career continues onwards and upwards.

"Eric certainly has ambitions of heading overseas fulltime. We're geared up to race that Kawasaki MotoGP bike in at least one wild card race next year, so [MotoGP fans] will be seeing him for sure," Bostrom's manager Norm 'Lawdog' Viano told Crash.net.

The Team Green favourite is being groomed for stardom on the world stage by the Japanese marque, and with almost all the manufacturers' switching allegiance from WSBK to MotoGP, it may well be grands prix that hold the younger Bostrom's future.

As such, both he and his management will be watching Garry McCoy and Andrew Pitt's efforts closely next year, to see exactly what the 1000cc prototype can do in it's first full season against the Hondas, Yamahas, Aprilias, Ducatis, Suzukis and Protons.

"Not sure how McCoy and Pitt will do. We're just as interested in the results - probably more so - than the fans," explained Viano. "It'll be an exciting MotoGP season."

Away from MotoGP, Bostrom and his team are eager for revenge in the cut-throat AMA series - where Eric will face Honda mounted Ben head on, but 'Bostrom E.' (as the WSBK timing screens call him) will again fly the Team Green flag in selected World Superbike or Supersport races.

"We're geared up to do three World Superbike/Supersport events, as well, and have a championship or two to win on our end," stated Viano.

Eric recently signed a two year contract extension to keep him as Kawasaki's #1 rider in the US.