Supersport champ Tom Kipp digs deep in England
by evan williams

Tom Kipp jumps the Vimto Honda at Cadwell. Click for a larger view

Tom Kipp has done it. Tony G. has, to a limited extent, but then again he's done nearly everything. Troy Bayliss was set to do it, before he was drafted off to World Superbike. Jamie Whitham and Neil Hodgson both were rumored to be doing it on a full-time basis, but it never worked out.

What is "it", you ask? Competing in both the AMA and BSB Superbike Championships. While nationalistic fans raise the merits of both series, very few people have working insights as to the attributes of both. AMA Champion Tom Kipp has first-hand experience from riding works machines on both sides of the Atlantic, and his unique and thoughtful insights give us a great perspective how the two series relate to one another.

But to get to that point, let's take up the adventuresome and unpredictable path of Tom Kipp at the end of 1999. He had just won the 750 Supersport crown for Suzuki (and his fourth AMA championship overall.) He was looking forward to the possibilities of 2000 when disaster struck.

"Back in October, a week after Pikes Peak, I came off my dirt bike during training. I dislocated my hip and blew my knee apart. I kept it quiet for a while, and Dr. Keiffer scoped it in December. We decided to hold off on doing the full replacement of the tendon until I decided what I was going to do for this year. After I decided not to ride, we went ahead and Dr. Keiffer operated on it in April."

Kipp explains why he didn't defend his number one plate in 750 Supersport. "Taking the year off was a calculated move. I needed some fixing up, so to speak, and I decided just to get healthy. In addition to the knee and hip, I had a wrist and elbow problem that had been bothering me for years. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to take care of everything at once. I decided it was the best thing to do at the time. It allowed me to decide how badly I wanted to put myself in a position to race for 2001. I've gotten totally healthy, and in some other areas it's helped as well. I've put myself in a position with my business where I can race for the following year and it won't be a burden for the company." Kipp owns a engine sleeve manufacturing company in Mentor, Ohio.

" I was just getting healthy again. Dr. Keiffer has done a fabulous job getting me back in shape, and I can't thank him enough. He's really one of the premier surgeons in the States, in my opinion. After he fixed my knee, I knew I wanted him to work on my wrist too. He wasn't a wrist specialist, but he is a racer and knows what's best for racers. My wrist feels better than new, and all the pain is gone." After months of three days-per-week rehab, Kipp was able to resume mountain biking, one of his passions.

"After just five months I was feeling great. The knee was well and my wrist was better than it had been in years. For the first time in a long time I was totally healthy," recalls the former Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda and Ducati factory rider. "Then this opportunity in England came along at the perfect time."

"In early August I received a call from Paul Bird of Paul Bird Motorsports. He told me that their rider, James Toseland, had broken his femur and asked if I would be interested in finishing off their season for them on their RC51 Superbikes. The deal was for five races and some testing, so I knew I'd get plenty of laps. I told them about the surgery Dr. Keiffer had done, and that I wasn't sure if I could physically ride because I hadn't ridden. So what I did was borrow a stock RC51 and went out to Nelson Ledges and put in about 50 laps or so. I felt good enough to ride, so I called him back that evening and said to count me in."

Then the race to even get to the race began. "I had three days to pack up and get over to Knockhill. The first adventure was with the passport office. I realized my passport had expired, so the next day I jumped on a plane over to Chicago and the passport agency. We got that worked out, so a day and a half later I was headed to Knockhill."

It was time for the fun to begin, or maybe not. "After I got there, it rained nearly all weekend," Kipp said. He had never seen the racetracks he would ride on, and in fact had never been to Europe before, although he had raced in the US, Canada and in Japan.

" I was on the grid on Sunday for the first race, and it really started to pour down. I was just getting drenched. Here I was, my first race in a while, on a new bike, a new track and a new series, and it dawned on me right before the green flag dropped that I hadn't practiced a start on the bike! I kinda chuckled to myself, but I got a fantastic start, and I got my best finish yet." Kipp was eighth in race one and 14th in race two.

Kipp also learned that his team faced an uphill battle against stiff competition. His Vimto Honda is a kit machine, and not a full factory ride. It began life as a street bike with special racing parts added, unlike the purpose built machines other teams campaign. Kipp explains, "Honda's two UK teams are at the bottom of the food chain right now. They are kit bikes, and not like Colin's bike or Miguel's bike. We are competing in an ultra-competitive series on bikes that aren't quite capable of winning. Certainly they are able to run well, but it can be frustrating at times. There are four factory Ducatis, two factory Suzukis, and four very fast Yamahas, so there are ten really tough bikes right there. The team I am riding for is a very professional and well-run team. They have a couple of big sponsors on board. The soft-drink company Vimto is one of them, and the internet company Demon is on board as well. My mechanic, Phil Borley is an ex-racer and knows all the tracks. He is really good. The team is not lacking, except for good HRC parts. But these guys are giving it all they've got and really want to win."

There is a sizeable rivalry between the Vimto squad and the other Honda BSB team, the Harris brothers squad that ran the Suzuki WSC team from 1996 through 1998.

"My team chose to go down the road of doing little with the HRC package they received. In fact, I would venture to say they've done little or no development with that package. They are trying to build a relationship with HRC, and there is a lot of merit for that approach. It is their first year for a Superbike, and James Toseland, the rider I replaced, was fast and getting the most out of the bike. The paddock knows the score. They know the BSB Hondas aren't super-competitive."

"The Harris guys, they've developed quite a few parts, like a new swingarm and other parts. They both are seeking support from HRC, and we'll have to see how it works out. I know the Vimto team has been promised one works machine for next year. It's a shame we don't have it now."

The next race was an eye-opener. Kipp recalls, "Cadwell was next. It is technical, narrow and bumpy, about 2.5 miles long and even has a jump! I was told that there was an area on the track that at times, you might get a little air. So the first time I hit it I said 'Wow! They weren't kidding'. Tom finished thirteenth and fourteenth after tire problems. But he did stay in front of Anthony Gobert.

"The third round was Mallory. We tested there that Wednesday, but there were a bunch of riders with varying degrees of talent and machines, so it was hard to get clean laps. Mallory has a very, very long right-hander. It's similar to turn two at Willow. If you get that corner, you pretty much had the whole track dialed in." In the races, Kipp was given a 10 second penalty after an official said he jumped the start. "I moved six inches. In the U.S., you just have to keep the back wheel behind the line." In race two he finished twelth.

At the Brands round, Kipp finished 11th, then dnf'd in race two after hitting the gravel trap. He will continue has BSB season at Donington in this weekend.

Kipp notices several differences in the AMA Superbike and British Superbike. "Right off the bat, I would have to say the intensity level in England is really high. There's not as much money in the sport. They tend to have more outside of industry corporate sponsors, but not in huge amounts of money. There are really big names with full signage on the bikes, but it's not like these companies throw millions of dollars at these race teams. Most of the teams are funded by multiple sponsors and individuals, but very little of the money comes from the motorcycle manufacturers. That's one of the main differences between BSB and AMA. Here, the manufacturers support the entire race effort, and they aren't interested as much in outside sponsorship. It seems they want to maximize their promotional dollars. It's a different way of doing things."

"The hospitality tents in the U.K. are a big deal," Tom adds. "Even the privateers make a big deal of it with elaborate tents and catered food. In the U.S., there isn't a need for it because you aren't entertaining all day. But to them, it is crucial and is expected by the sponsors."

"Getting back to intensity, the level over here in the U.S. is very high. But after the first twelve or thirteen factory bikes, it tails off," said the WSC race winner. "In the U.K., that isn't so. The mechanics and riders of even the smallest privateer teams are some of the most die-hard racers I've ever seen. At times, even the privateers are difficult to beat. And the fans are flat-out amazing. At Cadwell, a track out in the boondocks, they had 50,000 or 60,000 spectators and it was out in the middle of nowhere. Last week they had a huge crowd at Brands and they'll have a huge crowd at Donington."

One aspect the BSB series has that the AMA doesn't is a venue to showcase the privateers, via a different point structure. What does Kipp think of the Privateer's Championship in BSB? "At first I didn't pay it any attention, but it is a significant part of the series and the fans really pay close attention to it. They score it differently for those guys, and it is a big deal to place well. The fans realize there is essentially two races going on at once. It helps the privateers get sponsorship, and it makes it more interesting that some of the slower guys are still racing for something. These privateer teams take pride in what they do and are fast all the way through the field. You won't see a stock 750 with street wheels and DOT tires on their tracks."

Kipp thinks the AMA should look into developing the idea of a Privateer Superbike class in addition to the regular scoring method. "I don't see a negative side to adding it. I think it could add some structure to the AMA series."

Kipp also points out BSB teams go for veteran talent rather than the youngsters. "In British Superbike, the teams aren't seeking young riders. They want older racers that go fast but don't crash. If you lined up the resumes for the top 10 riders over there and over here, you'd see that the BSB riders have a lot more on their resumes than the AMA riders. Not to say the BSB riders are faster, but they've done it all and raced at every level in the world. These guys have hefty credentials and it is been fun racing against them."

Even though Kipp has enjoyed his time in the U.K., he'd like to return to the AMA. "Financially, it makes more sense to ride in the U.S., and my goal is to get a competitive ride over here. I've been having a lot of fun over there, but the AMA is where I would most like to be. It's my home. I've put a lot of effort getting my body were it needs to be, and I am more competitive than I have ever been. My hand has never felt this good before, I am fit and well focused and ready to go faster than I've ever gone before."

Kipp's positive mental attitude remains despite the difficulties he's faced. "It's been one of the biggest challenges I've ever had. We're on tracks I don't know, against tough racers I've never raced before, on a bike that's not the best, traveling all the time, living in a motorhome in another country, away from the people I know...It's been difficult. But I've had loads of track time, and I've been able to dig down deep inside myself and push this motorcycle to its limits. I know if I jumped on a competitive bike in the U.S. tomorrow, I'd be a better rider because of the challenges I've faced in the U.K. I know the obstacles have improved my abilities, and to me that is exciting. 

"I love racing, and every time I get on the track is a great challenge. I love having to dig down deep, mentally and physically. It's exhilarating to perform at such a high level. It's feelings of accomplishments you can barely explain to people, and I am not yet ready to walk away from it."
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