Biography >

Something that everybody always wants to know, is "How did you get started racing motorcycles"? It's a long story, but I'll make it as short as possible.

My dad and uncle were both great motorcycle racers in their time, whether they were at a motocross, flattrack, hillclimb, cross country, or a snowmobile race, they were the ones to beat. And everytime that they went to a race, my whole family would go, including all the kids. My parents never pushed me to race, they always let me race if I wanted to, but if I did not feel like racing, that was fine also. I grew up in Mica, Washington, which is about 1/2 hour south of Spokane, WA. We had one great thing in our back yard, and that was Mica Peak. This was the start of a string of mountains that could take you as far as you wanted to go, with thousands of miles of trails. My cousins Lon and Rob and I would get home from school, and within minutes we would be out the door and on the trails riding. I can say, that without the three of us pushing each other, that neither one of us three would be as fast as we are. I have definately benefitted from growing up riding with them. We can still to this day, go to any local cross country race, and one of us will win the overall. It's just a matter of who's lucky day it is. Now we are the ones to beat, as were our fathers. I continue to ride on the traile to this day, as I figure that this is how I learned to ride a bike, so why not keep learning. My whole point is, I grew up riding in the mountains and trees, and I would not trade that for anything.

I really did not get into racing like the average kid does now days. I was happy on the trails, not just the track. I did race in my first race when I was very young, at the ripe old age of five. I think my first race was on a snowmobile, a little Arctic Cat Kitty Kat. My first motorcycle that I had and raced was an Indian 50. I did not race a whole lot as I said in my youger years. I did some local flattrack racing with my cousins on our dirt bikes during our entire childhood, but flattrack racing was not my passion back then. We raced to have fun, not to take it seriously. I'm sure that I wanted to be #1 back then someday, but I do not remember having any goals to be #1. When I was around 15 years old, I got very heavily into racing cross country and hare scrambles races. For a couple of years, I would race cross country in the spring and early summer, then flattrack in the summer time. When I was 17, my father was injured in a snowmobile accident that has had him in a wheelchair every since with head injuries. He was the one that was helping me with my racing. After his injury, I got heavily into cross country racing. I had a lot of success at the national level, but I could not make a living doing this, I knew that. It took me a year or two to figure out that racing was still what I wanted to do in life. When I was 18, I was offered my first sponsorship on a real flat track bike, a CR250 in a Champion frame, and a Boss 500 Honda. Westfall/Collins racingwas my sponsor, I was hooked, and I now had my Pro-Am license. I was in love with flat track racing now. I was never looking ahead to see what I wanted out of racing, I was just having fun racing as a kid. The next year, all the bikes were burnt in a fire, a total loss. That set us back another year with no bikes. From there, they bought a Knight RS600 Honda and in 1990, I got my Junior AMA license. I had some decent results, but I was not the dominant rider in the area by any means. We were just doing local races in the northwest, as I was happy with that. In 1991, I got my expert license, and I qualified for the AMA 600 national shorttrack in Sturgis, SD. The following year I was given AMA National #43. In March of 1992, I broke my jaw in a crash practicing for a desert race in washington. For the next two years, I would travel with my cousin Lon and freind Steve Liberty to a few selected 600 national races. We would go to the Peoria TT, Sturgis and Castle Rock nationals, but I never seemed to make the main events. Then in 1994, Dave Manko and Denny Lopp asked me to ride their wood rotax 600. Some freinds of mine, Doug Donally and John Graham had bought a Harley XR750 and they asked me to ride it at some selected close nationals. I really felt comfortable on both these new bikes. Then in 1994, I crashed again at the same desert race, and broke my pelvis. In the fall of 1994, I finished 2nd behind Chris Carr at the Castle Rock TT national. I really liked TT racing, because I felt that it brought out all the dirt bike riding experiance I had. In 1995, Jim Plunkett, my boss, gave me some time off from work to go do some national level racing at selected races. So Doug and I were off racing with the big boys now, and we were having a blast. I only raced 12 grand nationals that year, as I had to drive home quite a few times that season for some bike repairs and to scrounge up some more travel money. I landed on the podium for my first time at a 750 national at the Denver 1/2 mile that year. I ended up 12th in the year end grand national points.

During the off season, Mike Shattuck from Harley Davidson of Sacramento called me to see if I would like to ride for him in 1996. I said "for sure, where do I sign". Then he mentioned that Kenny Tolbert was possibly going to be my tuner . I beleive that I had wipe shortly after I got off the phone with him. What a dream come true! 1996 was a great year for me as I ended up 4th in the final points. In 1997, I was with Sacramento and Kenny again, but I was involved in a crash into a solid wall that put alot of fear in me after that on what could happen to me on these race tracks. I was always watching the guard rails now to keep my distance safe, and I knew this was not the way to race.I could not figure out how to get rid of my instant fear of the walls around a track. With the great help of Kenny Tolbert, I did manage to win my very first Grand National at the Peoria TT this year. I ended up 7th in the final points in 97, not very good considering the crew of people I had helping me. In 1998, I teamed up with KTM and J&M frames for the 600 races on the schedule, but I was without a ride for the 750 class. I had some offers for a 750 ride, but nothing that interested me. I went to Daytona with KTM and we did great, ending up 4th in the short track grand national. When I got home from Florida that week, Dave Burks called me up and offered me a ride on his 750's. His team sounded great to me, with no pressure and great people. My new 750 team consisted of Dave Burks, Harley Davidson of Missouri and Carl Patrick turning the wrenches, and Kenny Coolbeth was my racing partner. I ended up 7th that year, not great, but we were still a new team trying to work together. In 1999, I was with the same team, with the exception that half of my 600cc races were on the KTM, with the other half on Denny Lopp's rotax as he had once again joined back up with me. I won my second grand national at the Dallas mile this year and also won the Supertrapp Supertracker series on the potent Suzuki TL 1000 and I also won the 600 Hotshoe series. I ended up 5th in the final points and felt that I was getting more and more confident with my riding.

In the winter of 1999, Burks and I were looking for some more help with sponsors for our team. Along came Mike Corbin and crew. They stepped up our program to the top level, and with that our results showed. On January 15, my longtime girlfreind , DeeDee and I got married. What a dream come true for me that was. Going to Daytona I was ready this year. I felt comfortable in life with my new wife, a great team behind me and lots of support. I finished 2nd at Daytona, as that was my best finish there ever. I was really riding hard during Bike Week at Daytona this year, and felt as If I had matured on the race track. Early in the season, I had some break downs and crashes, but I knew I was right there on winning a race soon. I always had told myself and others, that if I ever get alot of confidence going on the track, they had better watch out. Well, I finally won my first national of the year at the Sedalia 1/2 mile. From there my confidence went straight up and a string of 12 straight national podium finishes followed. I ended up winning the Supertracker series again, and the 600 Hotshoe series again. The best thing is, that I won my very first AMA Grand National Championship this year. Hopefully with more to follow.

That is the story of how my life in racing has evolved. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

Thanks,
Joe Kopp

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadslide, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming- WOW-WHAT A RIDE!