As one of the very few American riders in the FIM World Championship, Zach already stands out from the crowd. The fact that his versatility - along with his aggressive and fearless riding style - has already won fans and acclaim also means that his stature is significantly lofty in Grand Prix circles and he rightly holds a place as the on-track leader of the Utag Yamaha.com team and one of the candidates for the 2009 MX2 title.

Still just 19 years old Osborne has been a name on the results sheets both in Europe and in his native U.S. for what seems like an age. He burst to prominence with some excellent form as an amateur/junior and was part of the prominent KTM youth development scheme that has also seen names like Alessi and Anstie emerge. Injury and a bout of lost form in the delicate early stages of his pro career meant that he sought other means by which to prove his speed and ended up with the Utag Yamaha.com team midway through 2008.

Osborne hit the ground running by posting some decent finishes in the MX2 British Championship on the YZ250F and also running good lap-times through the intimidating sandy bumps of Lommel for the Belgian Grand Prix. He was again quick in the Czech Republic soon afterwards and, unbelievably, a runway moto victory was then obtained on one of the trickiest tracks of the season at Fairyhouse in Dublin. He then also shone at the 2008 Motocross of Nations at Donington Park where he used his passport limitations to represent Puerto Rico. Against the world’s best Osborne took second place in the Open category during the qualification heat and scored a best result of 6th on the YZ450F.

For 2009 he is one of the genuine riders to watch in what promises to be an exciting and frantic MX2 tussle for the highest honours.