go west

Kawasaki Racing has announced that John Hopkins will join their MotoGP factory team for 2008/9. So Ant West will probably go west. Hopkins, a nearly British rider (parents are Brits, was born in yankland) has shown lots of potential, but so have lots of batteries and they don't go very fast either. He's had a few poles this year and one podium (third), and is often up there or there abouts on his Suzuki (2 x fourth, 3 x fifth), so I suppose is the biggest signing Kwaka have had since their return to the premier class. Americans recently (i.e post Schwantz, Rainey, Lawson) have tended to be confidence riders - if the package ain't there then they won't risk their necks. Maybe the girls will have something to cheer about.
In Wow news (more for posterity) My NE Priest is 25, Dren Sh is 36; Lach's NE Warr is 38, NE Rogue is 20; Roozle's Dw Hunt is 45, NE Dru is 40 (and mounted!); Taff's NE Dru is 63, Gn Warl is 60 (both outlandish!), and her BE Mag is 22 (horde horde!). My 70 NE Dru, and Lach's 70 NE Hunt are semi-retired - just mobile piggy banks really, although Lach will dispute this. Current aim (you have to have aims in life) is catch Roozle's NE Dru before it hits the outland. We of course have another 20 alts between us, but who's counting?