‘I grew up at the track’: Kody Kopp follows father’s footsteps as decorated motocross rider

Fans of flat-track motorcycle racing know that Mica is home to Joe Kopp – one of the best riders in the sport’s history.

The 2000 national champion built a reputation as a top-flight racer who made the best of every bike he ran in a nearly 25-year career.

Now Joe’s son, 18-year-old Kody, is a national flat-track champion while serving notice that he may be heading to career marks even his father didn’t achieve, including a potential back-to-back championship.

Last year, the younger Kopp totaled seven victories in winning the title, including six in his first nine starts. This season, Kopp has reached seven wins and is looking to get to eight this weekend at Castle Rock (Wash.) Race Park. Heading into the lone Northwest stop for the Progressive AFT Series, Kopp leads the championship standings by 49 points, needing to leave the weekend with a 50-point gap to close out a title run.

If that happens, it will mark the second consecutive season Kopp has accomplished the feat – with two races remaining in the schedule.

Kopp has an impressive team guiding his quest for two championships in two years. Factory support from KTM Motorcycles and sponsorship from Red Bull have opened doors to one of the best support systems in motorcycle racing.

“Red Bull and KTM are the pinnacle of teams in any type of two-wheel racing,” Kopp said. “They live to win, and it pushes me to be my best every day. (KTM’s) Chris Fillmore, Antti Kallonen, and John Hinz collectively took a risk on me at the age of 16 and I couldn’t be more thankful that they did, along with Andrew Butler (Kopp’s mechanic), who works so hard every weekend to give me the best possible motorcycle.”

Corporate backing and televised races held at some of the top venues in the sport may be overwhelming for some teenagers, but not Kopp. Learning to ride at a young age and staying humble on the big stage served him well in a budding professional career.

Having a championship-winning father also helps with the sport’s demands.

“I grew up at the track and watched dad chase his dream every weekend,” Kopp said. “I was essentially born into the lifestyle. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I owe a lot to my family for always having my back even on the good or bad days. One of my largest advantages last year and in years prior was having my dad there to guide the way. Being a past national champion himself, he has been through the highs and lows of racing and was able to keep my head in the right place throughout the year. Along with dad is also the rest of my family, mom (Dee Dee) and sister (Karly), who have been behind me from the start.”

Taking part in school sports also helped.

“I played some stick and ball sports, mainly basketball and football (at Freeman High),” Kopp said. “Obviously, any sport is competitive, and you always strive to be great at what you do. Racing, however, is such an independent sport. The moment you roll out onto the track, everything from there on, it’s on you. (Racing is) all about mental strength and taking it on the shoulders. Everything you do through the week reflects on the track over the weekend. The closest comparison to it is school wrestling. That’s a solo grind where you have to be incredibly tough mentally.”

Toughness will be key to the racing in Castle Rock. Kopp must be ready for anything the track and competitors throw at him. Overcome those challenges and the second-generation rider may come out with back-to-back championships.

“Castle Rock is a track that has a jump and a right-hander (corner, as opposed to the left-turn-only flat ovals Kopp races most weeks). It really suits my style as I love to jump and use a front brake. … It’s something I want bad, especially being my home race on the circuit.”