HOPKINS LANDS
DUCATI RIDE
L
loyds British Moto Rapido
Ducati confirmed John Hop-
kins as the team's permanent
rider for the remainder of the
2015 British Superbike Cham-
pionship season. The team
drafted Hopkins—the 2011 British
Superbike runner-up—as a tem-
porary replacement for injured
rider Jakub Smrz at the previous
rounds at Brands Hatch and
Thruxton. Smrz injured his left
hand following a heavy crash in
qualifying at Snetterton back in
June and with his return a ques-
tion mark the decision was made
to make Hopkins the permanent
replacement.
For Hopkins it's great to be
back racing, as the former
MotoGP rider has been without
a ride after a tough season last
year in the British championship.
"I haven't enjoyed myself on a
bike this much in a long time and
this opportunity is what I have
been waiting for," Hop-
kins said. "Especially
after the frustrating start
of the year when you
had to watch everyone
else testing and racing.
"I bided my time and it has
paid off because I wanted to
come back with a team and
package that I knew had the
potential to be at the front and
everything I think happens for
a reason. I can't deny that I feel
bad for Kuba [Smrz] because
he is a great rider and I am sure
he will be back soon, but I had
to grasp this opportunity and I
couldn't give it up.
Although Hopkins had never
raced a Ducati before his fill-in
role with the team, the Califor-
nian has hit the ground running.
He earned the team's best result
at his debut race at Brands
Hatch (sixth) and qualified on
the front row behind pole-sitter
and series points-leader Josh
Brookes.
"It is amazing to think where
we are already," Hopkins said.
"I have had to take a step back
and breathe to just look and ap-
preciate how much progress has
been made already. I have felt
instantly at home with the feel
of the throttle and the chassis
which is incredible, I think that
comes down to it feeling very
similar to how the Grand Prix
bikes were that I spent most of
my career on." CN
VOL. 52 ISSUE 31 AUGUST 4, 2015 P23
Yamaha (it runs factory-spec
YZR-M1s in the Open category)
is also in serious jeopardy.
After Cuzari's arrest, the
team's bank accounts (in his
name) were frozen, and a num-
ber of sponsors including Athina
stopped payments. Since that
time new accounts have been
opened and, according to a
statement from the team, they
have been able "to regain some
vital economic aid," with the
hope they will be able to return
for the Czech Republic Grand
Prix on August 16.
"In this dark moment, several
'partners' and 'friends' have un-
derstandably distanced himself
(sic) from the team," team direc-
tor Marco Curioni added.
He went on to thank Dorna
and IRTA for their support—they
have agreed to hold the grid
slots open for the present, to
give the team a chance to get
back onto a sound footing.
General secretary Mike Trimby
confirmed that IRTA "have the
right but not the obligation" to
terminate the team's grid slots,
but had agreed they could miss
Indy and Brno in the hope they
could either regroup and return,
or sell their grid slots, in the in-
terest of protecting the innocent
members of Cuzari's team.
Michael Scott
American
John Hopkins
is right at
home on the
Lloyds British
Moto Rapido
Ducati.
PHOTO
COURTESY
OF
DUCATI
