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Team Update 2002
Interview by Martin Port – Yamaha Racing Communications
19/8/2002
Very few motorcyclists have had the opportunity to make it into the MotoGP World
Championship, and fewer still have leapfrogged the international 125 and 250
Grand Prix titles to find themselves in the premier class. But this is exactly
how a young American, by the name of John Hopkins, is making his international
Grand Prix debut in 2002 – aboard the Red Bull Yamaha WCM YZR500 180 horsepower
two-stroke.
Here is how he has found the season so far…
Q. How have you found the transition from the production based AMA Formula
Xtreme Championship you raced in last year to the premier class of the MotoGP
World Championship?
It’s the biggest step that I’ve ever made in my life because I never even raced
a Superbike to begin with before making the move over to this pure racing class.
I just came from Supersport and Formula Extreme racing, which are pretty much
standard street bikes, and jumped on bikes that are nearly half the weight with
double the horsepower.
Q. What has been the most difficult part of the transition to come to terms
with?
I’d have to say finding the limits of the 500. On the production machines the
bike’s more forgiving chassis and power delivery gave you ample warning before
it came even close to spiting you off. Whereas the 500 tends to be pretty
violent, it can definitely bite you pretty fast. It’s such a fine line between
keeping it up and throwing it down the road.
Q. How have you tackled the pressure that comes with such a transition,
especially considering that the team’s results have rested with you since Garry
McCoy’s pre-season accident?
Well I try not to put too much pressure on myself. When I’m heading out on the
track all I think about is being as smooth as possible, not about speed. This
whole contract has been focussed on using this as a learning year, to go out and
gain as much experience as I can – learning the tracks and the bike. I’d have to
say, because of that, there’s really not that much pressure on me, in fact
there’s more pressure on the competition to get good results as apposed to a new
guy like me. The pressure I’ve put on myself is limited to keeping it clean and
smooth, while riding my own race.
It can get overwhelming, though, at times with Garry out for so long and Dunlop
new to the class. They need to get as much feedback as possible and I just
haven’t the experience to help them as much as Garry could. But I do the best I
can for them.
Q. You’ve made mention, on a number of occasions, that you want to learn as much
from everyone you can. That’s a unique trait in this championship – admitting
that you can learn from the competition – what has been the key skill that
you’ve gained using this approach?
The lines are the main thing; the lines are so unique on a GP bike. I’m in the
best class with the best riders in the world, so for sure I have a lot to learn
so it makes sense to evaluate what they do and why. I use the information as a
base to help me improve from there, as not every rider uses the same line.
Q. What has been your best ride so far this season?
I’d have to say Assen, because I actually got the start and the first couple of
laps right, which makes a big difference. At the beginning of the year I was
having a bit of trouble getting in there and getting a bit aggressive on those
first few opening laps, but that’s slowly coming with time.
Q. How have you found the lifestyle in Europe compared to the States?
Unbelievably different! You could go to a race at home on the East Coast just
for the weekend and be home on Monday, while racing in a World Championship
means a bigger investment time wise. But I’ve always wanted to be here, it’s my
dream, this is what I’ve always wanted to do and I’m not going to stop until I’m
World Champion.
Q. What is your goal for this year?
I think I could get into the top five. I’ve always set reasonable goals and if I
don’t set them too high it doesn’t put too much pressure on me. I think I’ve
come along enough to accomplish it. Just improving little by little; what’s the
point of throwing yourself into the ground because you’re pushing it too hard –
it does nothing for your confidence or your experience
A European summer break of high altitude trials riding and an intensive
training schedule at an Austrian fitness centre has Australian rider Garry McCoy
eagerly anticipating his Moto GP return in the Czech Republic Grand Prix (August
25).
With seven races remaining the Czech GP at the fast flowing 5.4km Brno circuit
signals the restart of the Moto GP season following the summer holidays.
Refreshed and relaxed McCoy (Red Bull Yamaha) says he’s fully fit and looking
forward to better performances in the second half of the season compared to his
injury plagued opening to the 2002 campaign.
McCoy's early season hopes were shattered by a long recovery period, including
two operations, from a double fracture to his right leg and complications to an
old ankle injury suffered in pre-season testing at Estoril.
Now fully recovered McCoy has been able to return his much loved high altitude
trials riding workouts in the Pyrenees Alps of his Andorran home base.
And in the ten days leading up to this Sunday's Brno race, tenth round of the
Moto GP championship, McCoy has also returned to a specialist training centre
near Mondsee in Austria for daily cycling and gym workouts.
"I'm feeling strong and fit after pushing to new levels in the training
sessions, the gym assessment shows I've really climbed the ladder in terms of
fitness," said McCoy who missed three Moto GPs while out injured.
"And the trials riding has been a good test for my ankle and leg, I can now put
pressure on it and push off the rocks and there have been no problems, it's been
a good strength test. It was first time I was able to do some strength stuff
with my leg while riding."
The two wheel alpine adventure has been a family affair with McCoy accompanied
by his father David, a former speedway rider from Sydney who introduced his son
to bike riding at the age of four.
"I've got a couple of trials bikes in the garage in Andorra so Dad and I have
been up in the mountains doing a lot of riding together, it's been great," McCoy
said.
"My parents are over from Australia and are driving my motorhome to the European
races (Brno and Estoril) before we start the flyaways to Brazil, Japan, Malaysia
and then to Phillip Island ."
"It's been relaxing just to go riding and do some more training but now I'm
really looking forward to get back racing on the GP bike. "
Earlier McCoy started the four week holiday break with an intensive test day the
Monday following the German Grand Prix at the Sachensring in the final week of
July. McCoy completed 85 laps (the equivalent of two and half GP race distances)
as he evaluated a new generation of Dunlop tyres and engine and chassis settings
on his factory Yamaha YZR500.
"It was good to do that test as I probably needed the time on the bike after
missing three races with my injuries in the first half of the season," McCoy
said.
"The test confirmed some of options for bike settings and I got to run some of
the Dunlop tyres that were developed while I was away. The Dunlop guys are
working hard and I'm sure we are going to have even more tyre progress for the
final races of the season."
However McCoy continues to believe it is going to be a tough task for a
traditional 500cc two stroke bike to win a race against the might of the new era
990cc four strokes from Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki.
"The four strokes have got an advantage, we can see that especially with the
Honda V5 ridden by Rossi and Ukawa and I expect they will show that again at
Brno. A top five finish will be a good result on a 500 two stroke , that's what
I'm aiming for, and depending the track, the podium might be a chance.
"I'll be trying flat out as always but it's pretty tough against the four
strokes ."
The social highlight of McCoy's holiday break was a trip to the UK to attend the
wedding of Steve Bennett, one of the mechanics who prepares McCoy's race bikes.
"A lot of team team made it to Steve's wedding and we all had a really good
time," McCoy said.
Wednesday 31st July 2002
HOPKINS HOME FOR SURGERY
Red Bull Yamaha rider, John Hopkins has returned home to the United States
for surgery to his left hand following a spectacular crash in the final
qualifying session at the German Grand Prix in Sachsenring.
"Hopper" was operated on in San Francisco, California on Monday 29th July by
renowned American Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr. Arthur Ting.
The 45-minute operation on his left hand involved the insertion of three
permanent screws into the metacarpal bone of the middle finger. The screws will
assist the metacarpal bone in knitting back together. (The metacarpal bones
extend from the wrist to the knuckles of each finger.)
A three week recovery time is needed following this surgery and John will spend
these weeks at home in Ramona, California. John plans to return to a light
aerobic training program by the end of this week and will build up his fitness
schedule prior to the Czech GP.
John Hopkins
"After the crash in Sachsenring, I went to see a Surgeon that Red Bull recommend
for me in Innsbruck in Austria. After some x-rays on the Wednesday, he told me
the hand would definitely need surgery to heal correctly. I wanted to get the
surgery done in the US, I think that's in my best interest so I planned to come
home to the States and see Dr. Ting.
The X-rays showed that my knuckle was completely busted in half and shoved back
into my hand by 4mm. The bone was totally misplaced making my middle finger
shorter than it should be by 4mm.
So I came to Dr. Ting's clinic in San Francisco for the operation.
Now, it's the second day after the surgery and my hand is in a
fibreglass-moulded split to support the bone. I have to keep it solid like this
and not mess around with it for 10 days to give the bone time to knit together.
I've had the dressing changed again today and I've got just a small incision in
the top of the hand and the Dr. tells me its healing up nicely and on schedule.
I'm only on light painkillers at the moment and the pain has dropped
dramatically since yesterday.
I'm flying home to Ramona, California tonight so I'll spend my time at home
training and getting a few things sorted with my house. I'm still building the
second storey so I can use the time to get that advanced."
If there is one good thing about all of this, the timing was perfect. I've got
time to heal so I'm 100% for Brno. I am really looking forward to Brno, I like
everything about that circuit, the flowing track, surrounded by the trees, it's
unbelievable and really suits my riding style. So I'll be training hard as soon
as I can so I can be 100% fit for that."
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