Historians tell us that to know your future you must know your past. American race fans know that years ago, the FIM 500cc Grand Prix World Championships were dominated by American racers. Beginning in 1978, Kenny Roberts won the first of three straight 500cc GP championships, followed by Freddie Spencer’s two, Eddie Lawson’s four, Wayne Rainey’s own three-peat, and solo titles for Kevin Schwantz and Kenny Roberts Jr. Following the FIM’s shift to MotoGP, another American, the late Nicky Hayden, was 2006 MotoGP World Champion.
But American racers have been practically non-existent on the FIM’s world stage ever since. That could change, and it might be racing’s past that helps American racers regain center stage on the winner’s podium. The link to the past? Mini-bike racing, much like what the Southern California Mini-Bike & Kart Association first offered as early as 1969.
But today’s mini-bikes are vastly different from the spindly rigs powered by lawnmower engines of the 1960s. Today’s mini-racers look like full-on race bikes shrunken down to fit their youthful riders. Those little race bikes also serve as ground-zero for tomorrow’s MotoGP stars through a farm-system known as MiniCup, which embodies youth-oriented rules established by MotoGP’s worldwide affiliates, including MotoAmerica and AMA, that offer regional and national youth-based championships. Ironically, today’s MiniCup rules structure is similar to those established half a century ago by the SCMBKA. Defined age groups (6-8 years old, 8-12, etc.) especially pits youths of similar physical abilities in their respective age divisions. Specific motorcycle models are designated for various classes, too, further leveling the field so that the best rider, not motorcycle, wins. MiniCup racing has been on MotoAmerica’s calendar for several years now, crowning National Champions through its National Final, and sending other invited top riders to a World Final held annually in Spain.
And yet this year another grassroots class joins MotoAmerica’s Road-to-MotoGP program. Dubbed the MotoAmerica Talent Cup, the new class pits riders (age 14-21) on spec-class bikes based on the Kramer APX 350, an affordable purpose-built bike powered by a KTM 350cc, 55-horsepower single-cylinder variant. Three-time American Flat Track Champion (Single-Cylinder Class) Kody Kopp is one American racer set to campaign in this year’s talent search. He’ll do so on a team owned by Kenny Roberts. The goal: A future MotoGP ride for “King” Kopp.
According to sources, the KTM racer is an economical yet fast race bike structured for promising riders. As MotoAmerica president Wayne Rainey explained, “Racing high-performance motorcycles provides our young riders more opportunities and better prepares them to compete at higher levels on the ‘Road to MotoGP™.'”
Meanwhile, the MotoAmerica-sanctioned MiniCup racing continues grooming young talent toward annual season-ending National Championship honors. In fact, many previous young racers from past MiniCup run-offs have graduated to pro teams that position them closer yet to the grand prize — MotoGP. Among them, Rossi Moor, who competed in MotoAmerica’s Twins Cup class and will race full time in Europe, his intent being to compete in MotoGP. And Kayla Yaakov’s recent success landed her a spot on the Rahal Ducati Team in MotoAmerica competition.
Other racers with MiniCup experience have moved up the ladder to join established race teams, too. Among them Avery Dreher, Kensei Matsudaira, Jayden Fernandez, and Chris Clark, transformed their MiniCup experiences into opportunities that one day might lead to MotoGP. Clearly, the top rung on the World Championship MotoGP podium appears to be closer than ever for the Stars and Stripes.
