ML's Cooper off to Jegs All-Star race

Saturday, June 2, is judgement day on the drag strip for Medical Lake’s Justin Cooper.

Back in Joliette, Ill., Cooper will face off against seven other drivers in a winner-take-all national championship in the Super Comp dragster division of the Jegs All Stars at Route 66 Dragway.

Cooper, the National Hot Rod Association’s Northwest Division Super Comp champion from 2017, will be in a field that includes six other divisional champions from across North America, plus the 2017 Jegs champ. They race in a dragster class that must cover the track no quicker than 8.90 seconds.

“I’m pretty excited about having the opportunity,” Cooper said prior to flying to the Chicago suburb May 30. “It takes so many things to go right all year that even just qualifying and having the chance to go was on my bucket list of things to achieve.”

What’s especially fun —and challenging for Cooper — is the Jegs race provides an opportunity to get to race someone that you probably wouldn’t otherwise compete against because of geographic distance.

The winner takes home both bragging rights as being the best of the best in their class, plus $4,500. There are 10 Jegs All Star classes for what are known as NHRA’s Sportsman racers.

Liberty Lake’s Tom Manfred is the only other racer from the local area to compete at the Jegs’ race, doing so three times and reaching the finals once before losing.

Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].