From a press release issued by Norm Viano, Lawdog Sports Management:

It is with great pleasure that Ducati Austin’s Superbike rider, Eric Bostrom, is following up his exciting qualifying performance with an equally exciting announcement today of new commercial and lifestyle partner, Von Dutch. The new partnership will not only see the Von Dutch branding on his Alpinestars leathers, but also on his factory Ducati 999 Superbike. In addition, a dedicated Eric/Von Dutch line of high end clothing that reflects Eric’s unique style and character will be unveiled shortly and become available to fans everywhere.

A Von Dutch spokesman had this to say,”We whole-heartedly welcome Eric to our Von Dutch family through our strategic sponsorship program. We feel that Bostrom is a natural fit for the Von Dutch brand – his exceptional racing skills and enigmatic personality truly represent our company and all that it stands for – “freedom, style, sex, power, and motion.”

Having partnered with outside-industry sponsor RedBull four years ago in what has become an incredibly successful long-term commercial and (more importantly) personal relationship, Eric is entering into this new partnership with the same hopes. “It was really cool to get to know my new friends at Von Dutch because we quickly learned that we had so much in common; in lifestyle and interests. And this is really a nice match for me personally because the clothes are bitchin’, the people there are great, and they are real motorcycle enthusiasts. We give them a strong connection to the motorcycle industry and they give me a strong connection to the Hollywood fashion industry. We’re going to do some really cool things together. And by reading what they think about me, we definitely are on the same page!”

And judging by Eric’s electrifying qualifying performance, shattering the lap record at Daytona and earning pole position for the 63rd Daytona 200 to be run this Saturday, the relationship is off to a good start.

Von Dutch Originals is a Los Angeles-based clothing company specializing in fashions inspired by nostalgic vintage-styled clothing and denim. Launched in its present form in 2001, the company is named after legendary hot rod “Kustom Kulture” king, the late Kenneth Howard, who under his professional name “Von Dutch” is credited with being the first to paint hot rod style pin stripes and flames on cars and motorcycles in the ’40s and ’50s. Modern day enthusiasts identify themselves with “Kustom Kulture” – a lifestyle that appreciates everything vintage – from classic threads to custom hot rods and motorcycles. Von Dutch Originals reintroduces this lifestyle in clothing, Kustom Cycles, Von Dutch Collectibles and Toys for all ages. Von Dutch Flagships stores are located in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, California, Miami, Las Vegas and Chicago, and specialty clothing retailers across the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan. For more information, please visit http://www.vondutch.com/.