The first press release of the season for Luke Hopkins. The Kent based rider is competiing in the World Supersport 300 Championship, but this article was for a run out in the Team Green Junior Cup in which he came runner-up in 2016.
Tag: TGJC
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Luke Hopkins 26 Brands Hatch Indy March 2017
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Hopkins preparing for international racing in 2017
After his impressive year in the Team Green Junior Cup Luke Hopkins will be facing a new challenge in 2017 as he enters the FIM World Championship Superstock 300.
Photo: Hilary Hardy Hopkins, who only started racing in 2015, finished runner-up in the Team Green Junior Cup on his Kawasaki Ninja 300 where he turned a few heads with his performances in 2016. His performances saw him win the Most Improved Rider trophy from the British Motorcycle Racing Club, which covers all the motorcycle classes they put on.
For 2017 the rider from Sittingbourne will compete in 9 races at major European circuits. He will continue to ride the Ninja 300 he improved so well on this season, but this time in the Superstock 300. This is a new production championship which has been designed as a feeder series to the higher classes within the World Superbike series. Although different bikes can enter the idea is to try and provide as level a playing field as possible to enable the riders to show their talents as racers and at an affordable cost.
Hopkins will be one of the youngest riders in the class as the minimum age to compete is 15-years-old. The purpose of the class is to enable teams in higher classes to identify emerging talent. Hopkins will be racing at famous circuits such as, Aragon, Assen, Silverstone, Misano and Magny Cours amongst others.
Photo: Zarra Hopkins Last year, Hopkins also competed in the Moto3 class of British Superbikes for several rounds as well as some rounds of the Moriwaki Cup series. This means he already has some experience of some of the European tracks. The idea is similar for the 2017 season, several wildcard appearances in the Moto3 series as well as the Team Green Junior Cup to provide Hopkins with as much track time as possible.
The Kent based rider has sponsorship opportunities available for businesses, so if you are interested in some great national and European exposure for your business whilst helping 15-year-old Luke to realise his racing dreams please contact the Hopkins family by email: lukehopkinsracing@gmail.com. To keep up-to-date with his progress throughout the season you can also visit his Facebook page by searching for Lukehopkins26.
Luke Hopkins said, “This is a great opportunity for me to grow as a rider. I should be racing against some of the best up and coming young talent in motorcycle racing in this championship, which can only help me improve. The wildcard appearances in Moto3 and the Team Green Junior Cup will not only enable me to catch up with good friends but also provide me with valuable track time too. I’m already excited about going testing in Cartagena early next year!”
Sittingbourne Messenger 
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Luke Hopkins three seconds at Cadwell Park
Luke Hopkins is an extremely busy motorcycle rider at the moment. He has been competing in the Team Green Junior Cup, the Moriwaki Cup and also doing wild card entries in the Moto3 series Hel Performance Motostar British Championship.
This press release was for his successful racing at Cadwell Park last weekend in the Team Green Junior Cup. It is being published in the Sittingbourne Messenger this week.
The article also appeared on the Kent News website part of the Archant group of publications.
The article
Profitable weekend at Cadwell Park for Luke Hopkins
Kent’s Luke Hopkins was back in action at the weekend but this time in the Team Green Junior Cup on his Kawasaki Ninja 300. The sixth round of nine was contested at the twisty and rolling Cadwell Park with its famous mountain section where bikes often take to the air as they circulate the Lincolnshire track. Going into the weekend Hopkins was in third position (263 points) in the championship behind Joey Lamden (294) and Elliot Pinson (298).
Photo: Hilary Hardy On a cloudy Saturday morning the riders took part in a fifteen minute qualifying session. The riders were quickly out on the circuit looking to make the best of the time available to them. Early on 14-year-old Hopkins was in third position in his class behind Brandon Payne and Elliot Pinson. As the riders got more familiar with the track the times reduced rapidly. Hopkins set his fastest qualifying time on his 1:53.765 lap finishing second in his class. This meant he lined up at the head of row two on the combined grid of Senior and Junior class riders for race one.
There was only one race on the Saturday after an oil spill in one of the other categories caused several races to be cancelled. When the race did finally get underway Hopkins was running second in the first few laps behind Joey Lamden, who had been the inform rider coming into this round. Hopkins then set the fastest lap of the race on lap four before taking the lead on lap five. Unable to open a significant gap both Lambden and Pinson closed in on Hopkins with three laps remaining. With two laps left Lamden overtook Hopkins to take the lead. As the front-runners raced through towards the Gooseneck Elliott Pinson overtook both riders as they battled through back markers. Hopkins was now third but he pushed on and re-took second position from Lambden at the hairpin, turn 17. He then rounded the last corner Barn and crossed the line in second position. He also claimed the fastest lap of the race and won a special trophy for the fastest lap on the Saturday.
On Sunday there were two races. In the 7 lap morning race Hopkins made another positive start running in second place sandwiched between Pinson and Lambden. On the second lap Lambden lost the front of his Kawasaki leaving just two challenging for the lead with the new third placed rider already some distance behind. In the middle of the race Hopkins was struggling to keep up with the pace of Pinson as he dropped back to 1.855 seconds by the end of the fourth lap. However, he didn’t throw in the towel, as he set a series of fast laps clawing-back this time, particularly in the second sector of the track. On the final lap Hopkins was on the rear wheel of Pinson when they rounded the chicane and the final corner Barns. On the drag down the straight to the finish line Hopkins missed out on the win by just 0.074 seconds. He again set the fastest lap of the race.
The third and final race was on Sunday afternoon. Hopkins had to settle for second for the first few corners of the race before hitting the front before the half-way mark of the first lap. He was hotly pursued by Elliot Pinson, the championship leader. These two quickly gained an advantage over the other riders. Hopkins was being pushed hard by Pinson and although he tried to make a break he never managed to get more than half a second ahead. As they entered the final lap the two racers were almost neck and neck, Pinson lurking at the rear wheel of Hopkins looking for an opportunity to take the lead. As the two front-runners encountered back markers at corners nine and ten, Pinson managed to take advantage and hit the front. Hopkins had led the race for almost the entire seven laps but despite his best efforts he was foiled at the line, again by the slimmest of margins, just 0.075 seconds.
Luke Hopkins finished his weekend at Cadwell Park with three second places in some fantastically close racing. It was a very successful weekend that saw Hopkins close the gap on the second placed rider in the championship to just three points.
Luke Hopkins said, “I’ve had a fantastic weekend. I missed out on a win by such a small margin it’s a bit frustrating, but to come away with three second place finishes and to also be awarded a special trophy from Bill Barrowcliff for my fastest lap on the Saturday, it’s still a good weekend’s work. I’ve now closed the gap on Joey [Lambden] to just three points. I can’t wait until the next round but first I’ve got Moto3 and Moriwaki cup races to do.”
His next ride in the Team Green Junior Cup will be at Brands Hatch on the 21-22 August, however, before that he will be competing at the same circuit on the 5 to 7 August in both the Hel Performance Motostar British Championship on a Moto3 in the standard class as well as in the Moriwaki Cup championship at the same venue on the same weekend.
The photo was provided by Hilary Hardy
