Brands BSB: Hopkins hopeful of remaining with Ducati
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01/01/1970
Former MotoGP rider John Hopkins made his return to the MCE British Superbike paddock with Moto Rapido Ducati at Brands Hatch, and made a good impression onboard the Panigale, so much so that the American is hopeful that he will stay with the team for the remainder of the season.
Hopkins was called in to replace Jakub Smrz, who is currently injured after crashing at Snetterton. The Californian gelled immediately with the machine and found the stiff chassis similar to what he was used to riding in his GP days.
He unfortunately experienced a technical DNF in race two, and had to retire to the pits as the clutch burned out, but he did bag some good points in the opening race after finishing sixth.
He is hopeful that he has done enough to impress his team, and that they can keep him for the rest of the year. Now he feels he has a lot to prove after his disastrous season with the then Tyco Suzuki team last year.
“It has been really good, we have had some good results and then some not so good, but I can’t complain,” said Hopkins, speaking to Bikesportnews.com at the circuit.
“It’s great to be back and I felt that I have something to prove after such a horrible season last year, and I wanted to show my talent that I knew I had all along - hopefully I am going to finish out the season but we will see. There’s nothing confirmed yet, but I am hoping to go [to Thruxton] and the team seem happy to do so, but its not 100 percent confirmed.
“If you told me coming into the weekend that we were going to have the weekend we had I would have been ecstatic. Every time I went on the bike my goals and expectations got higher and I felt really good and enjoyed myself out on the bike.
“The way the chassis is really reminded me of what I spent the majority of my time on in MotoGP so I was completely shocked with just how quick I could go on the Ducati.
“In race two we brunt the clutch out so that was unfortunate, so that’s why we didn’t finish, but that bike is capable of finishing inside the top five, and I think I could be the one to do it - with more experience.”
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