Personal History
Personal History
Hey everyone,
My name is Donald Hopper, currently 32 years old and still love riding/ racing motorcycles. I started riding when I was 3 years old on a Yamaha Tri Zinger. Rode the wheels off of it for a while. Around 5 years old I started begging my parents for a dirtbike. They both rode and raced and of course I wanted to be just like them.
They finally made a deal with me, I had to learn how to ride my bicycle without training wheels first. I literally went straight out to the garage and got my dad to pull the wheels off and went to town. I ran into fences, crashed and ect. But that one day I got it done. I believe I said ok let’s go get one now. My parents didn’t expect me to go ham for it and needed a bit of time to get cash lol. They bought me a ktm 50 (back when they came in white) . I rode the wheels off of it and broke multiple shocks, and an aftermarket shock really pushed the bike farther than I think KTM ever anticipated. Raced a lot of years and won or got close in the novice class.
Moved up slowly but surely to big bikes but never did too well as a kit like 5th place most of the time. But I loved it and my parents didn’t care if I won. My parents operated the hanford MX track for awhile and during that time on my kx60 I progressed a bit.
In Jr high I quit riding. Got into band, garage bands, track and just being a kid. When I was 18 I went to college for Respiratory Therapy and got my bachelors degree. While I’m school I got a job at a local pizza spot and started saving money. I bought a basket case 1994 yz250 and rebuilt it from the ground up on a budget. It was my first time tearing into a motor. I did a full bottom and top end with a little help from my dad. Ever since I’ve done all my own bike work.
I haven’t stopped riding since.
After I finished school I bought a brand new 2008 KTM 450sxf and got better and faster riding almost every week. In 2010 I bought a 2005 YZ250. I grew up on 2 strokes and missed them. I got that bike and honestly almost never rode the 450 again. I sold it and kept the 250 for quite some time.
In 2017 I lost my father to suicide which is it’s own long story that I will tell another time. I was riding A LOT during this time in 28 and just riding as a coping mechanism. I got a bit more skilled. One day at the track 3rd gear broke on my trusted YZ250. Sucked bad but I figured I’d just fix it. My mother took me that day to the local dealership and bought her and my self both brand new bikes. I got a 2018 KTM 250sx and her a 350sxf.
At this point we rode more than ever. I actually got fairly fast at the time in the novice class. I raced my first OTHG National in November of 2017 in the open novice class (not age based) and won. I pulled a Holeshot all 4 Motos and ended up going 1-1-1-1 for the weekend somehow. Was kind of a huge pick me up after dad hitting the eject button on life.
The next year I joined the Valley OTHG chapter in the 30 expert class. (I was 29 but they made it happen) I worked hard and became fast for an every day guy. I raced a few nationals that year going 1,5,2 in overalls. I took the last 2 years off of racing due to covid and having my first child which I just wanted to focus on.
This year in 2022 I’m making my return to vet racing and hoping to top 3 the national OTHG series.