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Josh Coppins interview - War Horse

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Josh Coppins in Latvia - Christophe Desmet image

Interview Thursday 01st July 2010 By Geoff Meyer

Aprilia Racing rider Josh Coppins just doesn't give up and his challenge to get the Aprilia machine inside the top ten is still a work in motion. We sat down with Josh and asked him about his recent form and what he thought of the USGP, World Cup Football and a few others things.

MXlarge: Josh, did you enjoy Latvia?

Coppins: The track was really good this weekend, very rough and bumpy but I enjoyed it and felt comfortable with the bike in the first race. The second moto was pretty frustrating though, I was having a decent race when the chain came off. I am really motivated to get the bike into the top 10, both the team and I are putting so much effort in, but this sort of result is not reflecting anything. I will keep giving 100% and hopefully soon the results will come to us.

MXlarge: You went back to the 2009 Aprilia after trying to get the 2010 bike sorted. How has it helped with the old version?

Coppins: We had been struggling with starts, getting the power to the ground, but we moved back to the 2009 bike and it seems a lot better. It is easier to ride and the power is easier. The results haven’t come yet, but the starts are better.

MXlarge: What about 2011, do you know what you will do yet?

Coppins: I have a meeting with Aprilia and then we go from there. I would like to do a year in Australia, I am also speaking to people there. I mean I have a good chance to go there and do well.

MXlarge: Did you keep an eye on the World Cup?

Coppins: I watched all the games, New Zealand did really well. I was shocked that they qualified, then shocked to get a point, and we eventually didn’t get beaten. I follow it a lot and if you live in Europe you can’t not follow football.

MXlarge: it's a month ago now, but give us your feeling about the USGP?

Coppins: Glen Helen was cool, it was nice because we don’t ride on big fast tracks anymore and it was like an old school Grand Prix track. It was nice for me to go, see a lot of friends and also Ben’s son got to meet him and see him. My daughter went as well, so we hung out with them.

MXlarge: That was old school for sure. How did you find Glen Helen to race on?

Coppins: For me I got used to it pretty quickly and one of the best tracks we rode this year. There was a lot of positives, a couple of negatives, we didn’t have much time to get ready, six weeks isn’t long to get ready for a race, but Glen Helen was a nice facility and it went well.

MXlarge: Would have been nice to have more AMA guys there. What did you think?

Coppins: I pretty much asked everyone and anyone why the AMA guys didn’t ride. All different comments really, I hope they support it better next year. I understand some of them have a busy schedule, but for some of them didn’t even race Supercross, and raced one Outdoor, I thought it would have been a good opportunity for them.

MXlarge: I guess they had the argument about getting injured?

Coppins: My argument was that it’s nice to race different guys in a different series. Eric Keo (team manager Honda US and former AMA racer) for instance, if the GP came to America he raced and he wanted to race, that mentality has change, it’s like they won’t race if they don’t make money. The injury thing doesn’t wash with me either, those guys go practicing at Glen Helen or Pala all the time and that is more dangerous than racing. Those practice days are crazy, a lot of guys on the track. I was talking to one of the Haan brothers and he told me he nearly got taken out the day before the Grand Prix at Pala. For some guys I can understand.

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