D track
irt
erJoe K
opp
By Scott Rous seau· Photos by Flat Track Fotos
sk anyone connected with th e
sport of dirt track racing, an d
th ey' ll tell you that the key to
success on and off the track lies in finding the right combination.
On the track the variables are almost
too numerou s to list; items such as tire
pressure, tr ead pattern, gea ring, rake,
wheelbase and sus pe ns ion settings are
A
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onl y a few tun ing decisions a team must
get right in order even to be in the hunt
for a Grand Nation al vic tory. If o ne
aspect of the setu p is off, forget it. And
the sa me could be said fo r the team
itse lf. Th er e are fewer variables, b ut
they carry more weight. You mu st have
an owne r willing to make heavy financial and e mo tio na l co m mitments, a
savvy tu ner, and a rid er who can ride
the wheels off the thing while pr ovidin g
va luable fee d back to h elp th e tun e r
m ake the rig h t adjus tments. As far as
the setu p is concerned, the sa me rul es
apply. A clash in pe rsonalities can mean
the difference between a good season
and an agon izi ng one - reg ardl ess o f
where the team finishes in the points.
(Top) All business: Kopp rare ly sm iles
while at the race tra ck. Away from It, he's
much more laid-back .
(Above) Joe Kopp pitches the Donally
Logging Harley-Davidson sideways at the
Pomona Half Mlle . Kopp will be aboard the
Kenny To lbert-tuned H-D of Sacramento
XR7S0 In 1996.
