With just a week to wait until the first MCE British Superbike Championship official test at Silverstone (March 29), John Hopkins is eager to get back on track and make the final preparations to the ePayMe Yamaha as the team prepare for their debut race at the Northamptonshire circuit on April 8/9/10.

American Hopkins had his first experience of the Yamaha YZF-R1 earlier this month at Cartagena in Spain when the team completed their first shakedown test in preparation for their championship debut. 'Hopper' was instantly impressive on the title-winning Yamaha, adapting rapidly to the new machine and was setting a pace close to his rivals despite it being the first track outing of the season under the watchful eye of team manager and former rival Tommy Hill.

Now Hopkins is fully focused on their final test at Silverstone in preparation for the season opener which kicks off the championship in just over two weeks' time.

Hopkins said: 

"I am very much looking forward to getting to Silverstone for the next test. Silverstone is a very good circuit for me and it is one that I really enjoy. Honestly I couldn't be more excited to get back on the track and get more testing underway on the ePayMe Yamaha at a track we are going to race on. We haven't had a huge, crazy amount of testing like some of the other teams, but we were right there in Spain even though that was our first test and there is definitely more to come from the bike.

"Everything we have done so far with parts testing and suspension changes we have made a step forward, never a step backwards which is quite strange. Normally you will try a few things, take a step back, then take a step forward, but every change we made was a positive one and I am so excited now to get to Silverstone and get the next stage of testing underway ready for the first round."