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theGRIT
This time around, things couldn’t have gone more according to plan for the New Yorker; he was supremely flawless throughout the entire weekend of racing and didn’t seem to make one mistake at any point. It’s a beautiful spectacle to watch a rider at one with their motorcycle, effortlessly floating around the track, and that’s
exactly what Cooper managed to do every time he rode out on track. The Yamaha rider seemed to be riding on a different course at times; rough sections of the track that would force other riders to get bucked around with their bike were as smooth as silk for Cooper. He was able to glide through the corners, perched up on the pegs with his eyes locked forward on the inevitable checkered flag as if he was riding a hovercraft. He made things easy on himself and his Dunlop tires hooked up good and proper for nine holeshots in nine motos, but the most impressive part was that he never felt any pressure from behind. Early in the races, he put in the fastest lap of the race in every single moto that he entered. Nine holeshots. Nine fastest laps. Nine victories. Nine medals. And four Leonidas awards. The only mistake he made all weekend was not signing up for the belly flop competition, because with the momentum he carried throughout the weekend, there’s no way he was going to lose.
words/LAKEKILPATRICK
32 MPG • SEPTEMBER 2016