Youngster Wins Award After His Maiden Clubsport Season
ClubSport, grass roots entry level motorsport events organised by the Southland Sports Car Club at Teretonga Park, continue to prove to be beneficial for young competitors, none more so than 14-year-old Blake Cooper of Invercargill.
Blake, a Year 10 student at James Hargest College, enjoys motorsport and last summer followed his cousin Josh Cooper into ClubSport events.
Josh has had a lot of success both in ClubSport and more recently circuit racing and has been the runner-up in the Southland Sports Car Club Championship for the last two years.
Blake contested motorkhana events initially (timed runs around tight courses laid out with cones) in a Toyota Starlet, a stock standard road car, before entering some of the club’s Autocross events (slightly more advanced) towards the end of the season. So well did he do that at season’s end Blake was named the club’s Junior Driver Of The Year with the award being given by the club’s ClubSport Co-Ordinator Anthony Ralston who said at the time, “as a youngster in an old car Blake gained more and more confidence as the year progressed.”
“It was not what I expected,” said Blake after receiving the award. Looking back on the season Blake said, “it was amazing, real, good. Everyone was so helpful and it was a bonus having cousin Josh plus uncle and aunty Gregg and Cindy Cooper (Cindy is the club’s three-time Ladies Champion) close at hand for advice as well. It was about having fun but it was good to learn how to control a car properly at the same time.”
After his rookie season Blake says, “yes, definitely I will be back next season.” In time he would like to get into circuit racing. His other sports at the moment are target rifle shooting and downhill mountain biking while in his primary school years he competed in moto-x events.
Anyone from 12 years of age and over can participate in ClubSport (with parental consent required for younger competitors). They can use their own car or hire the Evolution Motorsport Nissan Sentra if they wish for a small fee.
The 2024/2025 ClubSport season commences at Teretonga Park on Sunday 1 September with a further five rounds over the summer months.
Inquiries regarding ClubSport are always welcome – contact Anthony Ralston 0273 093 986. [email protected]
SSCC CLUBSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP – TERETONGA PARK 2024/2025
Round 1: Sunday 1 September 2024
Round 2: Sunday 6 October 2024
Round 3: Sunday 3 November 2024
Round 4: Sunday 1 December 2024
Round 5: Sunday 26 January 2025
Round 6: Sunday 2 March 2025
Photographs:
Blake Cooper in action in his Toyota Starlet during a ClubSport event at Teretonga Park in Invercargill.
Blake Cooper receives the Southland Sport Car Club’s Junior Driver Of The Year Award at the club’s recent prizegiving – photo supplied.