Hopkins to Stiggy WSBK..

[tha_jackal]

JOHN HOPKINS RACING IN VALENCIA’S WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP

Carlsbad, CA – March 19, 2009 – MotoGP star, John Hopkins, is set to race his Stiggy Honda CBR1000RR in the third stop of the World Superbike Championship in Valencia, Spain, on April 3rd-5th.

Hopkins was set to race in his second year of a two year contract with Kawasaki when the factory announced on January 9th they would no longer be participating in the MotoGP Championship Series. Since this decision, Hopkins has respectfully settled with Kawasaki. Hopkins finished on the podium four times in the 2007 MotoGP Championship en route to finishing fourth in the title chase on a factory Suzuki. He then moved to Kawasaki, but ended the 2008 championship in 16th place after suffering a myriad of injuries. He is now focused on the remaining 2009 season and excited to race in Valencia with his new team.

“Kawasaki and I worked it out where both parties left the relationship happy, and I am thankful to Kawasaki for letting me ride their bikes and race in their program. I’m excited about racing in the 2009 season and solely putting my focus on moving forward,” said Hopkins.

John Hopkins will continue to be sponsored by Monster Energy Drink, Alpinestars, Arai Helmets and Spy Optic.

http://www.johnhopkins21.com/Discussion%20Thread/JOHN-HOPKINS-OFFICIAL-PRESS-RELEASE/045FBFFFF000D1574000900B29B0B

also more info here:-

http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/road-racing/2009/03/19/hopkins-to-stiggy-honda


After a tumultuous off-season in which he saw his factory Kawasaki MotoGP ride disappear, John Hopkins is set to go racing again. The Californian will ride a Stiggy Honda CBR1000RR in the World Superbike Championship, beginning with the next round in Valencia.

Hopkins will make his World Superbike debut alongside teammate Leon Haslam, April 3-5 in Valencia Spain....

[The Phantom]

With the way the Stiggy CBR1000RR has been going methinks there's now two cats amongst the WSB pigeons...

[Rod Richardson]

That's great news for the Hopkins, Stiggy and for the already stimulating series.
I'd expect it will take take Hopkins a couple of races to settle in but he will no doubt be giving it 110% from the outset. I hope his injuries have fully resolved.

[ChrisS]

Hopkins will make his World Superbike debut alongside teammate Leon Haslam, April 3-5 in Valencia Spain...

teammate Leon Haslam but not teammate Roby Rolfo? :confused: I hope Hopkins gets a 3rd bike not Rolfo's bike

[tha_jackal]

teammate Leon Haslam but not teammate Roby Rolfo? :confused: I hope Hopkins gets a 3rd bike not Rolfo's bike

I'm pretty sure Roby is keeping his ride and Moster will foot the bill for Hopkins' third bike.

[NinjaMaster]

That is good news and adds to an already deep and exciting WSB field.

from MotoGP Matters:



Hopkins To Join Stiggy Honda in World Superbikes
Submitted by Kropotkin on Thu, 2009-03-19 22:20.

During the deluge of stories about the Kawasaki catastrophe and the fate of Marco Melandri with the Hai-Karate, sorry, Hayate bike, there was always one question left unanswered: What about Hopper? For though the news was full of the fate of Kawasaki, Michael Bartholemy, Marco Melandri, Jorge Martinez, Carmelo Ezpeleta and a host of other characters, the one name that seemed always to be missing was that of John Hopkins.

That was mystifying for more than one reason, but most of all, because of money. Though Melandri is a big name in Italy, it was unclear what the Italian's role was in bringing sponsorship to the Kawasaki project. As for Hopper, on the other hand, it was an open secret that the Monster Millions came to Kawasaki through the link to the American. Though it was also said that once you took Hopkins' salary away, there wasn't a whole lot left to fill Kawasaki's coffers. It seemed that the combination of the more marketable Melandri and Hopper's PR faux pas at Misano last year - where the American went missing for a day - had swung the scales in Melandri's favor, leaving Hopkins out in the cold.

Fortunately for Hopkins, he wasn't left entirely out in the cold. There was one rumor that emerged a couple of times, and that was that Hopper was about to make the switch to World Superbikes. There were rumblings that Hopkins would replace Makoto Tamada at Paul Bird's Kawaski WSBK team, but as this flew in the face of Kawasaki's traditional demand for a Japanese rider, this was widely disregarded. But the one rumor that proved more difficult to quell was talk of Hopkins' joining Stiggy Racing, to ride a Honda alongside Leon Haslam.

Adding substance to the rumor was Roberto Rolfo's adamant denial on his website that he would not be losing his place at the Stiggy team, and that he would be racing in 2009. In the words of Queen Gertrude, the lady did protest too much, methinks. Once racing started, however, with both Stiggy Honda seats filled by Haslam and Rolfo, as the entry list had suggested, any talk of Hopkins joining the team subsided.

But that was premature. For the rumors were correct after all: according to that bible of American motorcycling, Cycle News, John Hopkins is to join Stiggy Racing to race a Honda in World Superbikes, starting in two weeks' time at Valencia. The deal would see Hopper ride alongside Haslam and Rolfo, expanding the team to a three-man outfit. Hopkins would bring sponsorship from Monster to the team, along with his personal sponsors Arai, Alpinestars and Spy Optics. MCN's Matthew Birt was reporting that Hopper will make an official announcement on the deal on Friday, but after news emerged of the deal, Hopper's manager Bob Moore confirmed the story to Roadracing World.

The deal is vital to Hopkins' future in motorcycle racing. After a crash-ridden season on the Kawasaki, during which he was inundated with accusations that he had only made the switch because of the money on offer, Hopper could not afford to sit out a season and hope to make a return to MotoGP in 2010. With the MotoGP grid shrinking rather than growing, Hopkins' best hope was to get a ride somewhere he could be competitive, and show what he is capable of.

At the age of just 25, Hopkins still has a lot of racing left in him, and a chance to make a return to MotoGP at a later date, once he has proved himself in World Superbikes. The more relaxed atmosphere in the World Superbike paddock should also suit Hopkins' personality better: the American has gained a reputation as the wild man of racing, and the last of the hedonists in motorcycle's premier class. The MotoGP paddock will be a good deal quieter without Hopper, but they will be getting a lot less sleep over in WSBK.

[veeten]

I'm pretty sure Roby is keeping his ride and Moster will foot the bill for Hopkins' third bike.

as usual, it will come to results on the track and results on race day. If Hopper comes back with better numbers, the switch will be made. The fact that he comes with sponsorship that doesn't impinge on the team's budget would be icing on the cake.

[DevilsAdvocate]

Good news as far as I'm concerned. The WSBK series this year has already been brilliant, this will only add to an already awesome season.

Rob

[ChrisS]

I'm pretty sure Roby is keeping his ride and Moster will foot the bill for Hopkins' third bike.


We are sorry to announce the premature ending of our collaboration with Roberto Rolfo, due to insolvable matters of sponsor interest.

http://www.stiggymotorsport.com/news.html

[Corny]

Rolfo is out, BTW...

wasn't there a Rolfo fan on this forum? :p

I am really pleased that Hopkins has a ride this year and wish him well in WSBK. Presumably he has recovered well from the injuries sustained last year (and there were some nasty ones).

[Roby44]

Rolfo is out, BTW...

wasn't there a Rolfo fan on this forum? :p


Yes there was a Rolfo fan on here and I'm still a fan..

But not of Stiggy Honda anymore!! :mad:

[tha_jackal]

:( woops... my bad..

that is a shame..

[ChrisS]

:( woops... my bad..

that is a shame..

Don't apologise, I'm sure its not your fault Rolfo lost his ride. :p

[Roby44]

:( woops... my bad..

that is a shame..

I'm pretty certain that it wasn't your fault that Roby lost his ride to Hopper.. :)

I thought there was a possiblity of 3 bikes too but alas no go...

I couldn't believe what I was reading when I got the newsletter from the Fan Club, I was just gobsmacked..actually I still can't believe it...

Who else rides in these Superbike races these days?? :p Its been awhile since I followed another rider in the series..Perhaps I'll just watch and cheer them all on with 1 exception! ;)

[Corny]

Rolfo has a fanclub? haha well, you can't be supporting him by his qualities as a rider!

[Roby44]

Rolfo has a fanclub? haha well, you can't be supporting him by his qualities as a rider!

Yes he does have a fan club and a rather good one at that. And yes I do support him because of his qualities as a rider, :D

[Rod Richardson]

Rolfo has a fanclub? haha well, you can't be supporting him by his qualities as a rider!

Bit of a low blow Corny........ :tweetie: :s mash:

I'm sure the rest of us appreciate Robby44's disappointment. I believe it was just Corny being corny.

Personal preferences aside, I feel that most sporting enthusiasts feel sorry for Rolfo with this having happened to him especially so early in the season when there are bugger-all alternatives available to him.

The precise reason for his replacement hasn't been disclosed although I would imagine that the sponsorship issue would have been the predominant one given the expense involved with Stiggy's venture into WSBK and previous lack of sufficient funding.

[Corny]

Yes, I can understand she's disappointed her favourite rider will not take part anymore..

But: what's wrong when I don't have Rolfo on a high as a rider? It's what I think on him, and I don't think he/she (rolfofan) cares that what I think is else than what he/she thinks

[Roby44]

Yes, I can understand she's disappointed her favourite rider will not take part anymore..

But: what's wrong when I don't have Rolfo on a high as a rider? It's what I think on him, and I don't think he/she (rolfofan) cares that what I think is else than what he/she thinks

I wasn't upset with you for asking that Roby had a Fan Club..I took it to be just a general question..

We can't all like the same riders, and we all know how I feel about a certain rider in MotoGP, so fairs fair...

Yes I am upset that Roby won't be riding again but I wasn't upset at anyone on here for it, unless of course one of you is Hopper in disguise!!

Anyway..today is Roby's birthday, not so good with the timing were they!! :(

Happy Birthday Roby!!

[Wim_Impreza]

I hope for you Roby fan that he will have a ride again this year. I prefered Hopkins replacing Carlos Checa and not Rolfo.

[Roby44]

I hope for you Roby fan that he will have a ride again this year. I prefered Hopkins replacing Carlos Checa and not Rolfo.


THank you.

I just can't understand is HOW they can "drop" a rider after he has already raced in 2 races for the team and then replace him with another.....

This is a serious question I'm going to pose............

Do you think he could sue them for this???? :confused:

[Rod Richardson]

THank you.

I just can't understand is HOW they can "drop" a rider after he has already raced in 2 races for the team and then replace him with another.....

This is a serious question I'm going to pose............

Do you think he could sue them for this???? :confused:

Quote attributed to Rolfo on Stiiggy.com site:............
"With great sadness I have taken notice of the fact that the team and its sponsors have expressed their wishes for another rider to support the team. Based on this outcome, I have decided to end my collaboration with the team."

Robby..........If the quote is correct then it appears to have been Rolfo's decision to terminate although I would expect that a few lire would have changed hands.

However, if that is not correct and he was to contemplate legal action, his chances of success would depend primarily on:...............

1. The wording of any contract he had with Stiggy,
2. Whether the contract included a performance clause and its wording and whether he failed to perform accordingly,
3. Whether he had done anything in breach of the contract or
4. Whether he agreed to the arrangement being terminated.

We will probably never know the entire story unless the proverbial hits the fan.

[Wim_Impreza]

THank you.

I just can't understand is HOW they can "drop" a rider after he has already raced in 2 races for the team and then replace him with another.....

This is a serious question I'm going to pose............

Do you think he could sue them for this???? :confused:

I think the words of Rod are a good answer. Maybe Rolfo must now be thinking about to participate in the Italian Championship or so? That would be better than not ride...

My respect for the Stiggy Team is now away too.

[Roby44]

It will be hard to follow Roby if he goes in the Italian races from here on from Australia!! But I will try to follow hm as I really think he is a good rider...

[Roby44]

Quote attributed to Rolfo on Stiiggy.com site:............
"With great sadness I have taken notice of the fact that the team and its sponsors have expressed their wishes for another rider to support the team. Based on this outcome, I have decided to end my collaboration with the team."

Robby..........If the quote is correct then it appears to have been Rolfo's decision to terminate although I would expect that a few lire would have changed hands.

However, if that is not correct and he was to contemplate legal action, his chances of success would depend primarily on:...............

1. The wording of any contract he had with Stiggy,
2. Whether the contract included a performance clause and its wording and whether he failed to perform accordingly,
3. Whether he had done anything in breach of the contract or
4. Whether he agreed to the arrangement being terminated.

We will probably never know the entire story unless the proverbial hits the fan.


Thanks .. it was a "shot inthe dark" .....

[ChrisS]

Quote attributed to Rolfo on Stiiggy.com site:............
"With great sadness I have taken notice of the fact that the team and its sponsors have expressed their wishes for another rider to support the team. Based on this outcome, I have decided to end my collaboration with the team."

Robby..........If the quote is correct then it appears to have been Rolfo's decision to terminate although I would expect that a few lire would have changed hands.


That comment IMHO means that Rolfo was offered the opportunity to stay with the team under conditions (ie find the money for a 3rd bike) and instead he choose to end the collaboration

[Doug Woods]

This is my first time in the Motorcycle Racing Forum, as I am a rally guy.

Just here to pass on some information about John Hopkins related to rallying.

In January, he attended the Tim O'Neil Rally School in New Hampshire, USA (this is the top rally school in North America).

He impressed the school instructors. He reportedly has had a rally car prepared and has plans to become involved in the sport, probably at events in the Rally America series and/or the Canadian Championship.

He attended the Team O'Neil Rally (a regional event), after his school sessions, to see what a rally was all about and to meet people. At the after-rally party, he fit in quite nicely with the rally crowd and seemed to be a really nice guy.

[gco0307]

THank you.

I just can't understand is HOW they can "drop" a rider after he has already raced in 2 races for the team and then replace him with another.....

This is a serious question I'm going to pose............

Do you think he could sue them for this???? :confused:


Don't often post in here so by all means bash me if need be, but I for one have no doubt that he didn't leave the team of his own volition (despite the press release) and nor did he leave it unpaid.

I would fully expect that if he had a contract in place that was for a period of time (ie. not a round by round contract) than he would be entitled to payment totalling the full extent of that contract and would hazard a guess that he has been paid.

However, if his contract was a round by round contract, the first thing he should do is get rid of his manager as nobody at world level should sign a contract along those lines. The second thing would be kick himself for aligning with the manager and the third thing would be to get is head right and prove to people that he is deserving of a ride. If his contract was round by round then I suspect that the employer would actually have no obligation of payment and should one have been made it would be a small sum of money as a 'severance'.

But I expect he had a term contract and would have walked away with a financial settlement.






Garry

[Roby44]

Thanks Garry

[The Phantom]

This is my first time in the Motorcycle Racing Forum, as I am a rally guy.

Just here to pass on some information about John Hopkins related to rallying.

In January, he attended the Tim O'Neil Rally School in New Hampshire, USA (this is the top rally school in North America).

He impressed the school instructors. He reportedly has had a rally car prepared and has plans to become involved in the sport, probably at events in the Rally America series and/or the Canadian Championship.

He attended the Team O'Neil Rally (a regional event), after his school sessions, to see what a rally was all about and to meet people. At the after-rally party, he fit in quite nicely with the rally crowd and seemed to be a really nice guy.

Thanks Doug, interesting - he certainly has unfinished business in world championship motorcycle racing and a good year in WSB will keep him around for a bit longer. But down the track it will be good to see him go over to rally.