Another Victory for Grand National Champion Joe Kopp of Lloyd Brothers Motorsports
- Jul 9, 2010
Kopp wasted no time, taking the Ducati-powered motorcycle to its' first ever Grand National Flat Track victory at Yavapai Downs Mile in Arizona in his very first race with the new bike. The victory marks the first time that a readily available, production engine has won a Grand National Twins race in 29 years. "Limited production, flat track race-only Honda RS750 and Harley-Davidson XR750s have won every Twins National since 1981," says Lloyd.
In the season opening round, and Ducati's third ever attempt at winning a modern era Grand National, Kopp proved that a modern production engine can win a Grand National Flat Track race. The Lloyd Brothers Motorsports Ducati Flat Track Project began just a year ago, when Ducati Superbike rider Larry Pegram approached friends and flat track team co-owners David and Michael Lloyd about the potential of Ducati's air-cooled engine as an ideal flat track platform. Pegram Racing and Lloyd Brothers Motorsports joined forces to build a stock-framed dirt track bike from a Ducati Sport. "After a quick shakedown by Pegram, the bike entered the 2009 Springfield Mile, where it immediately proved a formidable opponent to the dominant Harley-Davidsons qualifying for the 18 rider main event directly from the heat race," says Lloyd. "It has been close to 50 years since a stock framed motorcycle qualified for a Grand National Twins Mile main event." In the Twins season opener, Kopp took the lead at the start, drafting past Sammy Halbert on the final lap to take the checkered flag by .025 seconds. The Arizona Mile was also a significant event as the Ducati upset Harley Davidson on the Mile, something no other manufacturer has been able to do for 17 years. In the second Twins race of the year at the famed Springfield Mile, Pegram and Kopp qualified for the main event w/ Kopp finishing fifth, just 3/10 of a second behind second place, with Pegram finishing 9th. Lloyd Brothers Motorsports is proud to be able to bring new brands of motorcycles to Flat Track racing. "The diversity of the machinery in the class has definitely lead to increased visibility for what many consider the most competitive form of motorcycle racing in the world," says Lloyd. "The Lloyd Brothers team depends heavily on K&N Engineering products. Professional flat track racing is often a very dirty, dusty and brutal environment for equipment. With K&N air filters and oil filters, we know that the inside of our engines stay as clean after the race as they were when we unloaded them from our transporter. Thanks K&N, for your support of our team and the AMA Pro series." Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
