Page 94 - APRIL_ISSUE_2017

Justin Cooper
450 A Pro Sport
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / KILPATRICK DESIGN / WILSON
>> Justin Cooper had an incredible week full of outright speed and consistency at the 2017 JS7 Freestone Spring Championship. The Cold Spring Harbor, New York native contested the 250 A and 450 A classes, putting himself in first or second position in five out of six motos. He proved his speed in each and every condition as he dominated the field in the sweltering heat, the dust, the wind, and the rain. Cooper was most impressive in the 450 A class as he managed to come away with two moto victories and a second place in order to wrap up the title. The first 450 moto was a walk in the park for the Rock River Yamaha rider as he put himself in a good position out of the gate behind the Suzuki of Cole Barbieri. Cooper stalked his prey for the first couple laps and decided to attack on the third time around the course, moving into first position with conviction. The New Yorker controlled the race from the front of the field for the remaining four laps, setting the fastest lap time of the moto just after taking the lead. He proved to be the smoothest rider on the track as he tackled the ruts of Freestone County Raceway with metronomic precision, never putting one of his Dunlops out of place for the entirety of the moto. The second gate drop provided Cooper with a tremendous start ahead of his Rock River Yamaha teammate, Brandon Hartranft, and the two of them promptly checked out on the rest of the field. He just had the edge on his teammate and was able to eek out a couple of tenths per lap after dropping the hammer early on, therefore providing himself with a cushion of almost ten sec- onds before the race had run it’s course. In the final moto of the 250 A class, the clouds opened up and turned the track into a soupy mess throughout the eight laps of racing action. Cooper made quick moves in the early stages of the race in order to put himself safely behind his teammate in second position. The condi- tions progressively got worse as the laps ticked off and the New Yorker decided to take it easy and settle into second place with the overall in mind. He kept his composure in the treacherous conditions as he battled through the elements to a second place finish, subsequently wrapping up the overall victory and grabbing a number one plate in the process.
94 MPG • APRIL 2017