JUSTIN COOPER | GRIT-210 | 450SX

JUSTIN COOPER | GRIT-210 | SX 450

Knowing that the soil in Northern Texas was rather deceiving, Justin Cooper and his Yamaha 450 would toggle between a myriad of settings throughout qualification. It was apparent that the once "perfect" orange-hued top soil would be hampered with grooves and square-edges; ones that could dart the trajectory of a motorcycle from a once forward-thinking path into the tuff-blocks that were aligned the track! Luckily, he would survive (and flourish) throughout practice, leading to a notable gate choice for the first main event of the evening. His heart-rate would spike as soon as he engines were fired, ascending through the first lap(s) before adjusting to a pace near tenth in the opening quarter of the event. Jumping onto the tabletop platform before the finish-line, these athletes would have to be fatigued after landing with a harsh "thud" and hopping off with the power of the lower body and accompanying suspension. Yet, he continued to launch and do what was necessary to secure a position over Dean Wilson who trailed. The Honda combatant wasn't going to go away easy, and stood his ground in tight-knit ninety-degree corner(s) where an opportunity of an inside pass could be made. This led past the eight minute mark, as matters were becoming a bit dicey from fifth to twelfth. He was in the midst of the battle, and thriving as the checkered flag neared; decisively standing his ground as he swept atop the final left-handed berm to arrive in eleventh. Round number two, would have a few members of the field (outside of the top-fifteen) who seemed to slightly be fatigued as the first three laps passed. He however, would accelerate at the expense of his opponents; keeping his Yamaha machine pinned while barreling into the whoop section. There was no sign(s) of him slowing down as his braking point(s) after the longest straightaway on the track were some of the most prolific of all in the field, and helped his final gap over Justin Hill extend to a length that couldn't be overcome. Residing in ninth, only the last moto was left to conquer. He rose to the occasion, quarreling with Hill (again) as the leaders of the division began to slowly break away from the field. The minuscule double before the "SX" triple was now eroded, and caused fits for many who were bike lengths behind him. But with his vision always seeking more efficient ways around the course, his ability to cut down (just past the apex) would have him on-point (in ninth) as time began to expire. And when it mattered most, he completed the task at hand; solidified in ninth, for ninth overall in the record book.

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