Cooper sets bike racing world alight (From Stroud News and Journal)

Cooper sets bike racing world alight

AFTER a superb year Chalford motorcyclist Daniel Cooper has secured championships, broke numerous course and lap records and is definitely a future star in the making.

Daniel went into the final rounds of the club championships, junior and open 125, at Pembrey on September 21 and 22 with a significant lead in the juniors and a 17 point lead in the open.

He won all four of his races to become junior and open 125 club champion for the 2002 season.

The youngster finished the season in some style winning the first race by a massive margin of 37 seconds, the second race by 23 seconds.

On Sunday Daniel won his 125 races convincingly but also competed with the 250cc bikes as a test of his ability, Pembrey is a 250cc circuit.

Daniel won the second race by a 16.5 second margin and set a new outright circuit lap record for 125cc bikes at 1min 01.83sec.

The lap record had stood for eight years since Fernando Mendez set it at 1min 02.43sec.

Daniel has now set three club/circuit lap records this year at Darley Moor, Chivenor, and Pembrey as well as setting the new outright lap record for Pembrey.

He has now won the New Era Club Championship in addition to the two North Gloucestershire Championships, in this his first competitive season.

Daniel competed in his first British Championship at Mallory Park on September 15 and was delighted when he qualified ninth on the grid with a lap time of 51.22 seconds, just 0.9 seconds off pole.

Next races: National championships at Donington Park, Leicestershire. Qualifying takes place on Saturday, September 28; 24 lap race on Sunday, September 29.