NDRC Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship Western Conference Junior Dragster points leader Cooper Plummer took out his second event win of the season and his first Gold Christmas Tree at the Westernationals at the weekend and is now hoping to secure his third tree at this weekend’s Ken Scroop Memorial (March 9/10).
If he can do so at Mildura’s Sunset Strip, he will be the first racer of his bracket to secure three trees this season. And that isn’t the only accolade the 14-year-old is currently in the running for – recently announced as a top four finalist in the Seven News Department of Human Services Aboriginal Achievement Award which will be announced in May.
The Campbelltown (SA) racer is still buzzing from his win in Perth – where he also top qualified – as he gets ready to once again pull the suit on in Mildura.
“I have won many, many times, but that one was a very big win for me!” grinned Plummer.
“It was my first Gold Christmas Tree, and also the biggest field I have won in.
“I have raced in Perth five times and that was only the second time I have made it past the first round, so that was definitely great and then to go on to win it, that was amazing.
“It was cool also to top qualify as an ‘interstater’ – it is a really tough and tight group over in WA and I was just hoping for top 10, but we were able to do it with a 8.00047 on an eight index in the third round which I was pretty happy about!
Plummer faced off against fellow up and coming racing star Luca Lamattina in the final on Sunday night at the Perth Motorplex.
“I had a bit of luck along the way, but I was also better than some people on both sides, on the tree and the dial-in,” Plummer explains.
“In the final I definitely had a bit of luck as I broke out a bit more than him, but he had the red light first.”
The win also brought valuable championship points for the racer of the ‘Flamin’ Aussie’ Dragster.
“I am glad to be number one for sure,” he said.
“It would mean everything for me to win the championship.”
There is no doubting the dedication of Plummer and his family to chasing the title, with he and his dad only completing their drive home from Perth yesterday afternoon (Thursday) before the whole family left to head to Mildura this morning.
“Hopefully we can go back to back this weekend,” he said.
“Not only would that be great in itself, but it would also see me as the first Junior Dragster racer this season to get three Christmas trees, so that would be pretty cool.
“I love racing at Mildura – I have been racing there my whole career, it is where I got my license, it is basically my home track.
“I won there in September at the Sunset Nationals, so hopefully we can go again this weekend!”
When it comes to his recognition by Seven News, with his position as a top four finalist coming on the basis of his drag racing, promotion of the sport, and his sportsmanship, he will have to wait until May 17 to find out if he will be announced as the winner.
“It was definitely a surprise when my mum told me that I was a top four finalist,” Plummer said.
“It is really cool to be recognised in that way. To win that would be something pretty special for sure,” he added, while thanking his mum Janelle and dad Craig, his cousin Michael who has come onboard recently to help, and his sponsors Scruffy, Mrs K Cosmetic Injectables, HB Racing, Maxi Oppes, and David and the late Steven Collis of Baboon Racing for their support.
The Ken Scroop Memorial, the latest round of the Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship as part of the National Drag Racing Championship (NDRC) will be held at Mildura’s Sunset Strip across March 9 and 10, 2024. For event information and details of other upcoming events, go to www.ndrc.tv
IMAGE THANKS TO OUTLAW IMAGES