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WORDS BY: LOGAN MATTINGLY
KILPATRICK
“You see, you wouldn’t ask why the rose that grew from the concrete had damaged petals. On the contrary, we would all celebrate its tenacity. We would all love its’ will to reach the sun. Well, we are the roses – this is the concrete – and these are my damaged petals. Don’t ask me why, give thanks, and ask me how.” The quote from the legendary Tupac Shakur, is of perfect descrip- tion when in discussion of Justin Cooper’s quest to the championship. A truly exceptional road to glory, catego- rized by hard work, tenacity, and determination, Justin Cooper has come far beyond the expectation of many. Stationed in New York for the majority of the year, he’s flown under the radar, looking to sweep in and take the industry by storm. Racing bikes that were worn down, parts that were less than stellar, and a limited amount of funds to his possession, he’s buckled down, playing the hand he was dealt. It was time for him to make
his final mark on the amateur circuit. For the opening round of this division, the track acted as a giant balance beam; any small hiccup, and these shin-deep grooves could grab hold and never relinquish their grip. Eyeing the 100 dollar holeshot award, Cooper crossed the
pad with precise timing, banging through the gearbox down the starting pasture, taking an early command. Working his way to an early lead, the number 17 would stretch the gap to almost an 18 second surplus at one point. The way he was attacking the finish line was that of precise rhythm, landing off the hip-inverted triple on the pegs, never once dabbing his foot, up
and over the following step-up; truly remarkable. This sequence, along with all of the other pieces, propelled him to a dominant moto one win. The second round saw Cooper again craving a chunk of that large check, vaulting his way to the head of the field. The track, a
bit drier than the first go around, began to develop a pot-hole littered raceway; it was no problem for Cooper, manualing for stretches at a time, letting the chassis soak up every bump in sponge like fashion. He would again, take a defying moto victory. It was now time to patch the framework, and seal the championship; he must do so with a clean start. However, that wasn’t the case; the overnight saturation had filled the lens of his goggles, and the defrost had to be used. Pushing his way through the field, the 18th on lap one quickly was swiped away, sometimes making passes three at a time. With Jordan Bailey providing a solid ride out front, and the number 77 of Dylan Greer just ahead, he knew the cushion for his championship was intact. He would work his way to third by the checkered flag, knowing
he had written his name in the record books yet again, with a hefty Open Pro Sport championship.
JUSTIN COOPER OPEN PRO SPORT
WWW.GRITMOTO.COM
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