JUSTIN COOPER GRIT-227 250MX

JUSTIN COOPER | GRIT-227 | 250MX

With unfortunate circumstances striking Hunter Lawrence's championship quest in recent memory, Justin Cooper would be eager to accumulate as many points as possible - especially with the Yamaha rider being forced out of competition at High Point, due to a disastrous crash. He appeared to be healthy though as the day began in Spring Creek, where he and Hunter Lawrence would contend for the pole position throughout a number of extremely fast laps...but it was Cooper who was forced to claim second, as all was said and done. Once the gate(s) then fell for the first moto of the afternoon, it was Cooper who had grasped the fourth-place residency prior to passing his teammate (Levi Kitchen) prior to the fourth circuit being completed. All the while though, Hunter Lawrence was rapidly approaching his rear wheel; so much so, that the Australian was able to sweep around Cooper to begin the sixth circuit, amid the rollers and tapered tabletops prior to the whoop section. But Cooper was then a recipient of Deegan's mistake not long thereafter, and made a pass on the rookie as the Californian would divert off-track when attacking the uphill of Mt.Martin. Now into third, there was a small portion of time when it seemed as if third-place was occupied; until RJ Hampshire would scrub his way past (not long thereafter) in the series of tabletops just before the finish-line. Now into fourth, Cooper had adopted a pace that was equivalent to a standing of this magnitude - keeping Deegan and Tom Vialle behind him, throughout the rest of the seventeen-lap process. Eventually finishing here (i.e. fourth), he would look to advance on the leaderboard for the next portion of action as well. Cooper, as always, would immediately infiltrate a position at the front of the field when traveling past the green flag - claiming third prior to passing Levi Kitchen on the fourth circuit. At that point though, Hunter Lawrence was out front and riding extremely well; giving Justin only a small window of opportunity, if the New York native wanted to eventually obtain the lead. Though that narrative seemed to diminish as the twenty-minute mark came to fruition, Cooper had to be acknowledged for keeping Lawrence within a relatively close distance as the final few laps came to fruition...when Hunter would unfortunately make a mistake amongst lap-traffic, and allow Cooper to take the lead! Justin would be designated as the leader with the sixteenth and seventeenth circuit(s) coming to fruition; which allowed him to fly to the checkered flag, with victory in hand! His second-moto performance would ultimately translate to a final runner-up overall as well, keeping him well within the points hunt as the series moves forward to Washougal.

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