John Hopkins

The son of a racer, John Hopkins grew up racing in mini-motocross and then mini-road racing races in Southern California. It was there where Hopkins first caught the eye of Team Hammer owner John Ulrich, who at the time was taking his young son, Chris, to the races.

When Hopkins was 12, his father died and his family fell on hard times. Help from Al Lyons kept Hopkins' amateur career going, but John and his mother Linda struggled to find a way for John to reach the professional ranks. A well-timed phone call placed to John Ulrich by Linda Hopkins led to a meeting and a career plan, and John Hopkins soon signed a rider development contract with Team Hammer, (then racing as Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki).

Hopkins went on to win the Aprilia Challenge Cup Championship (on a Suzuki-powered Aprilia RS250) and the Suzuki GSX-R600 Cup Final in 1999, followed by AMA Pro Championships in 2000 (750cc Superstock/Superstock) and 2001 (Formula Xtreme). Hopkins also finished second in the Formula USA Championship and won enough purse money to buy his mother her first new car as a Christmas present.

In 2002, with a recommendation from John Ulrich, 19-year-old Hopkins jumped straight from the AMA Pro series to the 500cc GP/MotoGP World Championship and a ride on a YZR500 for the WCM Yamaha team. Seeing that Hopkins was nervous about making the leap into World Championship racing, team owner Ulrich reassured Hopkins by telling him that he could come back and ride for Team Hammer again if racing in Europe didn’t work out.  

Hopkins joined the factory Suzuki MotoGP team in 2003, where he raced for five years. Hopkins’ tenure at Suzuki MotoGP team saw him earn a pole position, finish on the podium four times, turn the fastest lap of a race twice and he ultimately finished fourth in the 2007 MotoGP World Championship. In 2008 Hopkins switched to the Monster-sponsored Kawasaki factory MotoGP team, and struggled on the uncompetitive machine. At the start of the 2009 season Kawasaki suddenly disbanded its MotoGP program as the economy started to take a nosedive. Hopkins subsequently rode for a private team in the Superbike World Championship, but his 2009 season was marked by serious injuries.

Eight years after he left for Europe, Hopkins decided to return to the United States and take John Ulrich up on the promise made all those years ago.

For 2010, Hopkins has returned to his roots in AMA Pro Racing with the team where he started his professional career. Look for Hopper on the #21 M4 Monster Energy Suzuki GSX-R1000 in the AMA Pro American Superbike class. 

Road Racing Career Highlights

2009: Raced in Superbike World Championship. (Injured)

2008: 16th in MotoGP World Championship. (Kawasaki) (Injured)

2007: 4th in MotoGP World Championship, with four podium finishes. (Suzuki)

2006: 10th in MotoGP World Championship. (Suzuki)

2005: 14th in MotoGP World Championship. (Suzuki)

2004: 16th in MotoGP World Championship. (Suzuki)

2003: 17th in MotoGP World Championship. (Suzuki)

2002: 15th in MotoGP World Championship. (Yamaha WCM)

2001: AMA Formula Extreme Champion (Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki)

2000: AMA 750cc Supersport Champion (Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki)

1999: AMA Aprilia RS250 Cup Champion (Team Hammer), GSX-R600 Suzuki Cup Champion (Valvoline Emgo Suzuki)

Personal Stats

Born: 1983

Personal Status: Married to wife Ashleigh

Hometown: Romona, California