JUSTIN COOPER GRIT-221 250MX

JUSTIN COOPER| GRIT-221 | SX 250

With an overcast climate keeping moisture in the track for practice on Saturday, the lines of Fox Raceway were rather muddy and slick in comparison to a normal practice day. Yet regardless of the condition, Yamaha's Justin Cooper was able to flourish, as he sped through the first turn and following right-hander to begin his hot laps. The middle portion of the track was rather deep, with both inside and outside lanes being passed through more often than not by the top-tier competitors in the 250cc division. Nevertheless, the New York native would find a way to differentiate himself, which translated into the first moto of racing as well. Tearoff's would be pulled as quickly as possible as he and the rest of the brigade tore through the California terrain with their throttle wide open. The initial rhythm lane on the track (that consisted of both doubles and triple(s)) would be a place that he could gain substantial ground before funneling into the off-cambered switchback that followed. He was aggressive, and mindful of not necessarily swerving over on Hunter Lawrence and Carson Mumford who trailed; but by all means, if the line was his, he would take it. Ruts were all over this track (resembling that of an East Coast circuit) after only a few laps, but there was a certain way he could flow amongst the outer portions of the circuit that dodged countless braking bumps and pot-holes alike. He and Hunter Lawrence were inseparable amid this moto, until the Honda rider would work his way around (near the halfway point) which seemed to be a decisive sway of momentum when enthusiasts envisioned the championship as a whole. Cooper wasn't going to settle though, and would fight forward with the likes of Ryder DiFrancesco ahead of him (where it appeared the Kawasaki rider was fading, ever so slightly). And on the ninth lap, Justin would pass the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider, now trailing Lawrence (again) although the Honda rider was striving to pass Jo Shimoda while Cooper maneuvered around the raceway at his own rate. Nevertheless, the consistent prowess of Justin was solidified in fifth, where he stayed as the checkered flag was thrown. For moto number two, Cooper's initial standing of ninth would be less than desired, but a platform to work from nonetheless. Yet the driving factor appeared to be more so, the fact that his championship rival (i.e. Hunter Lawrence) had occupied the lead and was attempting to break away from the field! Cooper couldn't allow that to happen without a fight though, and proceeded to infiltrate the top-six by lap four with a means of weaving and making passes on top-tier riders. He was fifth by lap seven, and fourth quickly thereafter as he made a move on Chance Hymas. Now behind Tom Vialle, the Yamaha rider would attempt to dethrone the MXGP standout in the latter stages of the moto, but it was to no avail; as the number 128 was riding brilliantly within the third-place residency. Ultimately claiming fourth in the moto, for fifth overall, Cooper would only be down eleven points (to Hunter Lawrence) when heading into round two of the championship.

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