Hopkins To Fill In For Injured Bautista

In what should be a blast from
the past for longtime fans of MotoGP, American rider John Hopkins
will be racing for Rizla Suzuki again - although only on a
temporary basis.
Hopkins competed in MotoGP from 2002-2008, but eventually decided
to move on to other series after some poor performances toward the
end. While racing in MotoGP, he was perhaps best known as a member
of the Rizla Suzuki team, where he had his best season, finishing
fourth overall in 2007.
Now, with regular Suzuki rider Alvaro Bautista injured after the
first race in Qatar, Hopkins will fill in for the racer this
weekend in Jerez, Spain. Bautista, who underwent surgery after
breaking his left femur, will reportedly be in attendance to cheer
Hopkins on.
"I was shocked by what happened to Alvaro, especially after such
good winter testing, and I really wish him a speedy and full
recovery," Hopkins said in a statement. "I wanted the opportunity
to get back on a MotoGP bike, but not under these
circumstances."
Hopkins suffered a major injury himself last season in the World
Superbike Championship that nearly ended his career. The American
racer says that he has not been on a MotoGP bike in some time and
realizes that it will be a challenge, but hopes to put on a good
showing.