Running on Fumes

As if American fans needed more incentive to turn their attentions to the international World Superbike series, John Hopkins is now racing the SBK championship for Stiggy Honda. (John Hopkins to World Superbike on Honda)

Hopkins’ talent has been unused so far in 2009 after Kawasaki departed from MotoGP during the tumultuous off-season. Kawi has since been goaded back into the MotoGP fray, but supporting a lone rider team with Marco Melandri at the helm. Hopkins and his enticing sponsorships with Monster Energy Drink, Alpinestars and Arai were left riderless.
Enter World Superbike, which has already scored the best off-season talent acquisition with Ben Spies on the Yamaha R1. Now SBK can boast two Americans in the paddock with the addition of Hopkins a month into its season.

It will be quite interesting to see how the new arrangement suites Hopkins. One common perception is that Hopkins’ talent has always exceeded his MotoGP rides. After a long, sometimes frustrating, tenure with the Rizla Suzuki squad developing the GSV-R, it seemed Hopkins had made a breakthrough in 2007 with podium finishes and a fourth-place overall in the championship. Then Hopkins’ GP career sputtered when he left Suzuki to develop of the Kawasaki ZX-RR in 2008, only to be marooned by the manufacturer in the off-season.

Now Hopkins is in a production-based series with a spec tire. And while not hitched up with the Ten Kate Honda squad, Hopper figures to immediately be a force with the Stiggy Honda team, which supports British rider Leon Haslam – the top-ranking CBR1000 pilot in the SBK points at third overall after two rounds.

Win or lose when Hopkins takes to the track at the upcoming Valencia round, one thing is certain – American motorcycle racing fans will be watching and rooting for Hopper to do well.