AMA SUPERBIKES: HOPPER BACK IN THE USA?

01/07/2009



By AMA Reporter Carole Shellby

Should John Hopkins find himself out of a job in MotoGP, he is still contracted to ride for Kawasaki and could well find himself back in AMA Superbikes.

Even though a statement from Kawasaki is now overdue, the team remain silent on the future and a meeting is being held today in Japan to decide its fate (click here).

If Hopkins finds himself in the MotoGP wilderness, there is spare seat at Kawasaki in AMA alongside Roger Lee Hayden – which would leave fellow Anglo-American Jamie Hacking on the sidelines.

Hacking, who isn't under contract like Hayden, had a good scrap in 2008, fighting with the factory Suzukis of Mat Mladin and Ben Spies but Hopkins massive salary will need to be justified.

He is reportedly paid $4m a season to race for Kawasaki. Whether the factory cover all of that, or Monster drinks chip in a good portion, is not known, but both Mladin and Spies commanded similar salaries last year. The former Suzuki pairing are, however, multiple AMA champions whereas Hopkins has won, erm, nothing.