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Oucati Revs America e Just like those other guys, the company's bigwigs were on hand, the celebration kicking off in earnest on Friday when Las Vegas City Councilman Michael McDonald declared it 'Ducati Day' in Las Vegas and presented keys to the city to Ducati President Federico Minoli, and CEO Carlo DiBiagio. Care for a little hero worship? Church was in session all weekend, as Ducati's factory World Superbike studs were on hand for autugraph signings. Reigning World Champion Troy Bayliss was joined by his Infostrada teammate Ruben Xaus, along with "Captain America" himself, Ben Bostrom, who finished third in the World wars last season. Factorybacked AMA Superbike riders Steve Rapp and Larry Pegram were also on hand, but Bostrom was clearly the man of the hour on Saturday, joining company officials on the main stage for the unveiling of his own, limitededition signature model, the Ducati 998S Bostrom. Not bad for a guy who was barely making ends meet on the American flat track scene just seven years ago. Yesiree, young Mr. Bostrom has come a long way in a short time. "I really have: Bostrom said. "I always think back on the good old days of just making it from race to race. Those are the days that really honed your talent, brought you up and made your character. I never forget that, so this [model] is really a dream come true for me. It just blows me away." STORY AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT ROUSSEAU LAS VEGAS, NV, OCT. 26-28 hey might as well have called it a DOG rally, because it sure conjured the same vibe that has driven that other, American-built, V-twin brand to stratospheric sales figures for the past 25 years. But if you were among the 5000 owners, riders and fans at the Ducati Revs America celebration at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the last weekend in October, then you already know that Milwaukee does not have a monopoly on passion and emotion. There was plenty to see and do at DRA. Your $35 ticket gained you admission to the infield of the NASCAR speedway oval for the day and access to the stock car garage areas, which were converted into quaint kiosks housing a wide variety of items related to the Italian marque. Ranging from Italian eateries to accessory and apparel shops to the temporary but fanciful Ducati Museum, there was plenty in which the Ducati faithful could indulge. There were motorcycle stunt shows, pizza dough-tossing demonstrations, a precision flag drill team ... Better yet, if riding was your thing, you could take a short prep school and then get in line for a session on the 1.5-mile infield road course - the very same used by Freddie Spencer's High Performance Riding School. When was the last time you had that option at a HOG rally? T Slated solely for the North Ameri· can market, the 998S Bostrom is based around the new Testastretta engine, which Ducati claims can pro- Charged of the washed masses: Over 5000 Ducati owners, riders and fans poured Into the Infield of Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Ducat! Revs America celebration. The three-day event took place during the last weekend in October. 38 NOVEMBER 14, 2001 • cue • ... n.""s duce 123 horsepower at 9750 rpm. The chassis utilizes Ohlins suspension components and is adorned in an array of carbon·fiber parts, includ· ing the side fairings, belly pan, mudguards, airbox and chainguard. Naturally, the bike sports Dunlop tires. But the most visually striking differences are the paint graphic, and that the chassis and wheels on this model are hued in the signature blue of Bostrom's L&M sponsor "They originally had the design of the racebike, but they decided to take the design of my helmet and apply that," Bostrom said. "It turned out beautiful." The 998S Bostrom will carry a suggested retail price of $22,695, and only 155 examples (to match Bostrom's World Superbike race number) will be produced. The unit unveiled at DRA immediately went up for auction on ducati.com, the proceeds from its sale slated to go to the Red Cross Liberty Disaster Relief Fund. As of this writing, the high bid was $23,500. The testa wasn't solely entertainment·based, either, but also educa· tional. In a unique twist, Ducati own-