Michael Cooper (racing driver)

Last updated
Michael Cooper
Michael Cooper Racing Driver.jpg
Nationality Flag of the United States.svg American
BornSeptember 1, 1989
Pirelli World Challenge career
Former teamsCadillac Racing, Blackdog Racing
Championships4
Wins19
Podiums37
Previous series
Pirelli World Challenge, Playboy Mazda MX–5 Cup, Skip Barber Racing School
Championship titles
2011
2012

2015
Playboy Mazda Mx-5 Cup
Pirelli World Challenge TC Champion
GTS Champion
Last updated on: October 11, 2017.

Michael Cooper (born September 1, 1989 in New York, New York) is an American-born race car driver who currently competes in the Pirelli World Challenge. He resides in Huntington, New York, and also has a business management degree from at NYIT (New York Institute of Technology), and a nutrition degree from Long Island University. [1]

Contents

Racing career

Early career

In 2009, Cooper's brother signed him up for the Bob Lutz Cadillac CTS-V Challenge driving competition. In wet conditions at Monticello Motor Club, Cooper was the fastest amateur, gaining the attention of GM Factory Driver Johnny O'Connell. [2] From there, Cooper began his racing career at the age of 19 at Skip Barber Racing School, racing in the Mazdaspeed Challenge in 2010. [3]

After winning several races in the Skip Barber series, Michael stepped into the Playboy Mazda Mx-5 Cup for his first season of professional racing. Cooper won the season opening event, and went on to finish fourth in the championship, narrowly missing out on rookie of the year honors.

In 2011 Michael won the Playboy Maxda MX-5 Cup driver championship with six poles and five wins in nine races. As a result of winning the championship, Cooper was awarded a full season ride for the following year in the Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car (TC) division. [4]

In similar fashion to 2011, Cooper dominated the Touring Car class in 2012, winning six out of 14 races, only finishing outside of the top five one time, and ultimately claiming the drivers championship. [5] For 2013, Cooper did not have a full time ride and missed the first 3 rounds of the Pirelli World Challenge touring car schedule.

Later in 2013, Cooper had the opportunity to step into a GT class car for the first time, qualifying ninth in the CRP Racing Hawk Nissan at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and retiring after only a few laps with a mechanical failure. [6] 2014 was more of the same for Michael, and without a full time ride, he competed in his first GTS class races at Miller Motorsports Park finishing in eighth and fourth place for Blackdog Speedshop.

In 2015 Michael made his full season debut in the GTS class of Pirelli World Challenge in the Blackdog Speedshop Z/28.R, winning only his second race of the season. Cooper went on to win the GTS championship with four race wins and two additional podium finishes. [7] In 2016, GM appointed Cooper as a factory driver, and hired him to race alongside Johnny O'Connell in the Pirelli World Challenge, racing the Cadillac Racing ATS-V.R. [8] With two wins and an additional seven podiums, Cooper finished third in the championship. The following season, Cooper returned to the Pirelli World Challenge Cadillac Racing program for another full season to include the Sprint and SprintX championships. Cooper was paired with Jordan Taylor for the SprintX Championship, and the duo captured the 2017 Championship at Circuit of the Americas. [9]

Shortly after capturing the Sprint-X championship, Cooper went on to sweep the final Sprint race weekend of the year at Sonoma raceway. After the 2017 season, Cadillac Racing announced an end to the program, leaving Cooper a free agent. [10]

For 2018 Cooper was announced as one of the drivers for the Callaway Competition race team and their GT3 homologated C7 Corvette in the Pirelli World Challenge GT class. However he was released from his contract in February of 2018, before the season ever started due to the teams inability to field 2 cars.

Cooper would continue to drive a partial GT4 sprint-x season in 2018 with teammate Tony Gaples at Blackdog Speed Shop

Results

Pirelli World Challenge

YearTeamCarClass1234567891011121314151617181920RankPoints
2012 Atlanta Motorsports GroupMAZDASPEED3TC SPGP
1
SPGP
1
UTA
4
UTA
1
UTA
5
LAG
5
MOS
2
MOS
1
MOS
4
MOH
1
MOH
DNF
SONO
3
SONO
2
SONO
1
1st
2013 Atlanta Motorsports GroupMAZDASPEED3TC AUS
-
AUS
-
AUS
-
LRP
13
LRP
DNS
LRP
10
TOR
1
TOR
1
MOH
1
MOH
1
SONO
9
SONO
DNS
HOU
3
HOU
7
5th
2014 Blackdog SpeedshopCamaro ZL1GTS SPGP
-
LBGP
-
BAR
-
BAR
-
DGP
-
DGP
-
ROA
-
ROA
-
TOR
-
TOR
-
MOH
-
MOH
-
SONO
-
SONO
-
UTA
8
UTA
4
27th
2015 Blackdog SpeedshopCamaro Z/28.RGTS AUS
8
AUS
1
SPGP
7
SPGP
5
BAR
5
BAR
10
MOS
14
MOS
3
ROA
17
ROA
9
MOH
1
MOH
4
UTA
6
UTA
1
SONO
2
SONO
1
LAG
10
1st
2016 Cadillac Racing Cadillac ATS-V.RGT AUS
3
AUS
2
SPGP
4
SPGP
3
LBGP
15
BAR
2
BAR
1
MOS
11
MOS
7
LRP
9
LRP
14
ROA
7
ROA
3
MOH
7
MOH
1
UTA
15
UTA
6
SONO
3
SONO
21
LAG
3
3rd
2017 Cadillac Racing Cadillac ATS-V.RGT SPGP
7
SPGP
5
LBGP
14
VIR
3
VIR
3
MOS
1
LRP
4
LRP
2
ROA
3
ROA
5
MOH
2
MOH
7
UTA
8
UTA
3
AUS
4
AUS
6
AUS
DNF
SONO
1
SONO
1
1st (SprintX), 2nd (Overall), 3rd (GT Sprint)

Complete WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeamClassMakeEngine1234567Pos.Points
2022 Riley Motorsports LMP3 Ligier JS P320 Nissan VK56DE 5.6 L V8 DAY
1
SEB
MDO
WGL
MOS
ELK
PET
-*0*

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References

  1. Blattler, Tom. "College Student Michael Cooper Set for Big Jump to Pirelli World Challenge GT Class As GTS Champion Teams With 4-Time GT Champ Johnny O'Connell in Cadillac Racing". Pirelli World Challenge.
  2. Cechal, Erin (29 August 2016). "SportsCar Feature: The Accidental Racer". SportsCar.
  3. "MICHAEL COOPER DRIVES MAZDASPEED3 TO 2012 PIRELLI WORLD CHALLENGE TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP". PR Newswire (Press release). PR Newswire.
  4. "Cooper reflects on MX-5 Championship". Parts and People.
  5. "2012 Championship". Pirelli World Challenge.
  6. "Figge and Jonsson take poles in GT/GTS at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course". Motorsport. 2 August 2013.
  7. "Michael Cooper Wins the 2015 Pirelli World Challenge GTS Drivers' Championship". Pirelli World Challenge.
  8. McEachern, Sam. "Cadillac Racing Confirms Michael Cooper To Replace Andy Pilgrim In 2016". GM Authority.
  9. "Michael Cooper/Jordan Taylor Capture 2017 PWC GT SprintX Pro/Pro Division Title". Cadillac V Club.
  10. Dizinno, Tony (28 September 2017). "Cadillac ends its title-winning PWC program". NBC Sports Network.