Tyco Suzuki has announced they’ve signed former MotoGP racer John Hopkins for the 2014 British Superbike championship season.
Hopkins took the 2013 season off from racing, as he recovered from injuries. The move to BSB makes sense, as Hopkins has experience there – he was runner-up to the title in 2011, losing out by only 6/1000ths-of-a-second.
Said Hopkins: ““I’m really excited to be coming back to British Superbike in 2014 and delighted to be joining Tyco Suzuki. It’s been a long year away from racing getting my body healthy … I feel better than I have done in a lot of years and I’m really excited to be getting back out on track … I really feel like I’ve got a point to prove in the British Superbike Championship.”
Hopkins will be aboard a Suzuki GSX-R 1000.
Man, I hope Hopper manages to stay healthy this time. The guy is almost as fragile as Pedrosa.
Another Patrick Stefan or Rick DiPietro.
Absolutely hopeless and out of his depth
in anything other than club racing.
Great hype as a California kid, but wilted
in the big shows. This back-marker never
had the talent to warrant his early rides.
I fear many saw him as a continuation
of the long passed California generation
of GP stars, with the hopes of stemming
the then Australian tide.
But, Trane, you may feel differently, so
I nod acceptance towards ones opinion.
Hopper might not be the greatest rider to line up on the grid, but he’s good enough that he rode full-time in MotoGP from 2002-2008. He ended up 4th in the championship in 2007, which ain’t too shabby by any reckoning. You don’t ride 7 consecutive years in the premier class by being hopeless and out of your depth. Just sayin’. 🙂
In any case, I just hate seeing guys injured, and Hopper has had more than his fair share. In recent years, he’s been about as robust as an origami crane.
” an origami crane. ”
No doubt for erecting Japanese Condos ..
LOL! Try this:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Origami-crane.jpg