Kopp, Joe
Name/Title
Kopp, JoeDescription
Joe Kopp reached the pinnacle of Flat Track by winning the 2000 AMA Grand National Championship. He also dominated the AMA Supertracker National Championship, taking home the 1999 and 2000 titles. Kopp claimed multiple AMA Hot Shoe Championships as well, in 1999, 2000 and 2004. His consistent success is underscored by his impressive record in AMA Grand National events. Between 1997 and 2010, Kopp notched 21 career wins, placing him among the all-time greats, at 17th on the list. He also recorded 81 career Grand National podium finishes, ninth all-time. Kopp was the 15th rider to complete the prestigious Dirt Track Grand Slam, winning at least one race in each of the four dirt track disciplines: Short Track, TT, Half-Mile and Mile. His sustained excellence is evident in his 15 consecutive seasons finishing in the top 10 in Grand National points (1996-2010). He narrowly missed the championship title on four occasions, finishing runner-up in 2004, 2008, 2009, and 2010. Kopp also secured Ducati’s only AMA Grand National dirt track victory at the Prescott Valley Mile in 2010. That year marked his last full-time season, where he led the championship standings until a mechanical issue in the second-to-last race cost him the title. Showing his enduring talent, Kopp achieved his final Grand National podium with a second-place finish at the Las Vegas season finale in 2015, several years after stepping away from full-time racing. Throughout his career, Kopp raced for four manufacturers: KTM (1999-2004), Harley-Davidson (2008-2009), Triumph (2014), and Indian (2016). His passion for the sport continues even after hanging up his steel shoe. He successfully wrenched and mentored James Rispoli to the American Flat Track Production Twins championship in 2020 and has coached and mentored his son Kody to three consecutive AFT Singles championships in 2022, 2023 and 2024.Category
Class of 2025