Joe Kopp earns AMA Hall-of-Fame induction
Joe Kopp of Mica, Wash. (fifth from left) was officially inducted into the American Motorcyclist Association in ceremonies in Pinkerton, Ohio, Oct. 23.. — AMA photo
PINKERTON, OHIO — The tiny unincorporated community of Mica, Washington’s claim to fame has always been as home of a robust brick manufacturing facility along State Route 27.
Now its reported 563 area residents can also add home to American Motorcyclist Association new Hall of Famer, Joe Kopp to the list.
Joining Kopp as part of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2025 includes Dana Bell, Chris Carter, Colin Edwards, Chad Reed and Ryan Young, all of whom completed the tradition of receiving their Hall of Fame rings and iconic gold jackets during the ceremony.
“Tonight, we celebrate the legends who have shaped motorcycling in America — the pioneers, champions, innovators, and visionaries whose impact will be remembered for generations,” AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman said.
An AMA news release described the 56-year-old Kopp as, “One of the all-time greats in one of motorcycling’s oldest forms of racing, Joe Kopp’s illustrious racing career led him into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.”
Reaching the pinnacle of his racing career in 2000 by winning the 2000 AMA Grand National Championship, Kopp also rode his way to a pair of AMA Supertracker National Championships (1999 and 2000) and multiple AMA Hot Shoe Championships (1999, 2000 and 2004). In total, Kopp finished his career with 21 wins and 81 podiums at the AMA Grand National level.
Kopp is just one of 20 racers to complete the prestigious Dirt Track Grand Slam, winning at least one race in each of the four flat track disciplines — Short Track, TT, Half-Mile and Mile.
“I want to thank the people who helped me get this Gold Jacket,” Kopp said. “I didn’t have the goal as a kid to be a championship racer. I just liked to ride with my cousins … Thank you, everybody, my wife, my kids, my friends, thank you!”
Kopp’s son, Kody, has followed in his father’s footsteps and has been quite successful having now three consecutive AFT Singles champion who is now pursuing racing on asphalt.
Byron makes championship field with 11th-hour win at Martinsville
William Byron celebrates his must-win victory at Martinsville Speedway, securing his place in the NASCAR Championship 4. — NASCAR photo
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 26, 2025) —With a heroic, gloves-off drive on Sunday in the crucible that is Martinsville Speedway, William Byron earned a shot at the NASCAR Cup Series title and simultaneously saved the rest of the Championship 4 field from its worst nightmare.
Byron led three times for 304 laps—a career best for a single race—and beat Ryan Blaney to the finish line by 0.717 seconds after a restart with 11 laps left to win the Xfinity 500 elimination race under most exigent circumstances.
In a scenario under which both Byron and Blaney needed a victory to advance to the Nov. 2 Championship 4 event at Phoenix Raceway, Byron passed Blaney on Lap 457 during a long green-flag run and held the top spot for the final 44 laps.
“Pass” doesn’t do Byron’s move on Lap 457 justice. By then, Blaney’s No.12 Team Penske Ford had begun to fade. Byron charged into Turn 1 to the inside of Blaney’s Mustang and knocked it up the track.
Byron rushed past, and Blaney never found an opportunity to return the favor. Hence, for the first time since the Gen 7 race car was introduced into the Cup Series in 2022, Team Penske, the organization that won the last three championships, won’t have a driver in the Championship 4—and the rest of the field can sleep more easily.
“Damn, I’ve got a lot to say,” Byron said with a broad smile. “Things have a way of working out. God really tests your resilience a lot of times. We’ve been tested. Just unbelievable.
Blaney, who went to Victory Lane to congratulate the race winner, had no issue with Byron’s winning move.
“Yeah, I look back on that long run before the last yellow where William got by me,” said Blaney, who qualified 31st and methodically worked his way through the field. “I just got loose, trying to work through that. My rear drive was fading quick. I tried to manage a lot in the beginning. Yeah, just was starting to fade.”
Byron’s victory in a must-win situation knocked seventh-place finisher Christopher Bell out of the championship race. Bell came to Martinsville 37 points above the elimination line and one point ahead Kyle Larson, but Larson, who finished fifth, outscored Bell on Sunday and claimed the final Championship 4 berth by seven points.
Also eliminated were third-place finisher Chase Elliott and reigning series champion Joey Logano, who ran eighth.
Larson and Byron will represent Hendrick Motorsports against Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe in the season finale. Hamlin and Briscoe already had qualified for the title race with victories in the Round of 8, but both experienced engine failures at Martinsville.
Blaney soon had the lead and control of the race—and maintained it until Byron made the winning pass on Lap 457. “Wasn’t quite enough tonight. We’ll just move on,” Blaney said.
Non-Playoff drivers Ross Chastain and Ryan Preece ran fourth and sixth, respectively. Todd Gilliland Josh Berry were ninth and 10th.
