John Hopkins - Photo Credit: Suzuki Racing
John Hopkins will make his return from injury at this weekend's World Superbike meeting at Miller Motorsport Park in Salt Lake City. The American broke his foot at Monza, forcing him to miss the Donington Park event, and admits he's not yet fully fit. But Hopkins has promised to give his all in front of his home fans with a Suzuki GSX-R1000 which is improving all the time.
“It was a pity that I had to miss Donington because I think I would have been very competitive there. Certainly, in Assen and Monza, I felt very comfortable with the bike and my hand wasn’t giving me any problems at all. The bike has definitely improved since my first time on it and I know that there’s more to come.”
“Although, I’m not going to be 100% in Miller, I am going there to give it my best shot. I’ve never raced there before, but I have been as a spectator and even done a lap – in a golf cart! I know some areas that are not so easy to learn, but I’ve always been somebody who adapts to circuits pretty well so I think I’ll get it dialled-in pretty quickly. Racing at home is always a bit special and I am looking forward to the weekend and performing well in front of my fans.”
Crescent Fixi Suzuki teammate Leon Camier finished second on his last visit to Miller and after his competitive showing at Donington Park, the Briton is optimistic ahead of Monday's racing.
“I am happy we’re improving and I feel we’re getting better and better each time out. Everybody in the team has been working their socks off and now we’re seeing the results of all the hard work and definitely making progress.”
“Miller is a bit of a strange track and, because it is so high up, the bikes always feel as if they are down on power. It’s not a difficult circuit but, like all tracks, you need a good bike set-up if you want good results – especially on the long corners. I really like Miller and it has been a good track for me. I was on the podium last year and I’d be very happy if I could do that again this year.”
