Page 68 - ISSUE _38

Justin Cooper
ARENACROSS
MAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / KILPATRICK DESIGN / WILSON
>> Justin Cooper has been the main attraction of the AX Lites East class so far in 2017. The New York native has been on a different level than his competition in most of the events so far this year, riding with unrivaled precision and consistency that has rewarded him with the red plate. Cooper has still suffered his fair share of hardships throughout the year, most notably battling back from a first turn crash to a third place finish in just a stan- dard fifteen lap main event. There’s a certain amount of swagger that coincides with holding the red plate and Cooper knows exactly how to handle it. The New Yorker threw down a scolding pace throughout practice that put him in a good position heading into the night show. It was business as usual for Cooper amidst the chaos of racing, overcoming modest starts in order to battle at the front of the field. Although he wasn’t able to return to winning ways, Cooper still managed to finish third overall with a pair of third place finishes, keeping his confidence high with another stellar performance.
68 GRITMOTO • FEBRUARY 26, 2017