Hopkins Back To AMA Racing

Paul Carruthers | January 14, 2010

Former MotoGP star John Hopkins will test a Roadracingworld.com-owned Suzuki GSX-R1000 at the upcoming AMA test at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, February 2-3, according to sources and confirmed by a prominent team member.Hopkins, 26, who reportedly has Monster money to bring to the team, will likely end up on the M4 Suzuki team that will also field Martin Cardenas in the AMA Daytona SportBike class.Hopkins won the AMA 750cc Supersport Championship and the AMA Formula Xtreme Championships for the team, then known as Valvoline EMGO Suzuki, in 2000 and 2001, respectively, before starting his Grand Prix career with Red Bull Yamaha in 2002.Hopkins’ career has been riddled with injury and his best finish in the MotoGP World Championship was fourth in 2007 – a season in which he rode a factory Suzuki to four podium finishes, including a second-place finish in the Czech Republic Grand Prix.In 2008, Hopkins moved to Kawasaki’s MotoGP team, but had a miserable season, starting the year with a groin injury and finishing it with a broken leg in the Dutch Grand Prix in June. The Californian who now calls Miami, Florida home, underwent surgery at the end of the 2008 season to have plates removed from his left ankle and foot. He also had a plate removed from his left hand for a previous injury.Hopkins was a casualty of Kawasaki pulling out of MotoGP racing at the end of the 2008 season and ended up signing with the Stiggy Honda team to contest the World Superbike Championship. Hopkins suffered more injury last year when he broke his hip at Assen in April. His season ended with a crash at the Nurburgring in Germany in September when he suffered a serious concussion as well as shoulder and wrist injuries. He ended the season 23rd in the championship.