Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Henderson’s Cooper looking for his first win

Thursday, July 11, 2002 | 10:40 a.m.

TODAY

1-5 p.m.: Driver/rider registration, Fiesta-Henderson hotel-casino

6-10 p.m.: Drawing for starting positions and fireworks/concert, Terribles hotel/casino (poolside)

FRIDAY

8 a.m.-noon: Driver/rider course reconnaissance

10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.: Driver/rider registration, Fiesta-Henderson hotel-casino

9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.: Contingency and tech inspection, Off-Road Expo, Water Street in downtown Henderson

4:45 p.m.: Hendersons Terrible Wedding Fiesta, Henderson Convention Center

5:30-6:30 p.m.: $7,000 IGT Pit Crew Challenge, Water Street in downtown Henderson

7:30 p.m.: SCORE Hendersons Terrible 250 Tommy Rocker concert, Police Park in downtown Henderson

SATURDAY

6 a.m.-8 p.m.: SCORE race shuttle, Fiesta-Henderson hotel-casino to start/finish line area

6 a.m.: Motorcycles/ATVs start (8-hour time limit)

Noon: Parade of Racers (car/truck race vehicles), downtown Henderson to start/finish line

3 p.m.: Cars/Trucks start (8-hour time limit)

8 p.m.-2 a.m.: SCORE Checkered Flag Fiesta, Fiesta-Henderson hotel/casino SUNDAY

8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Unofficial results posted, awards brunch, SCORE awards, Terribles hotel-casino

Danny Cooper is confident that his first victory for Honda's factory-backed off-road motorcycle team could come this weekend in the inaugural SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250 desert race.

Cooper, a 28-year-old Henderson native, will be racing virtually in his back yard when the motorcycles and ATVs take the green flag beginning at 6 a.m. Saturday. As soon as he got his first motorcycle at age 9, Cooper began riding with more experienced racers on the same roads and washes that make up the 50.22-mile course.

"I feel really confident going into the race because it's my hometown," Cooper said. "A lot of these guys who are racing are not local and they're not familiar with the rocks. I know where just about every rock is.

"I feel a little bit fortunate because I grew up just around the corner from (the course). Hopefully we can put it all together and win the race on Saturday."

Cooper also said he should have an advantage over the other riders in Class 22 because he is accustomed to racing in the extreme desert heat.

"Endurance -- how well you train -- plays a big part in it," Cooper said. "I'm used to the heat where a lot of these guys are coming from California and places like that ... aren't used to the heat. That's going to play a big part in everything."

It's not only his local knowledge that has Cooper feeling this could be his race. In his last outing with co-rider Andy Grider of Los Olivos, Calif., Cooper won the third stage -- approximately 280 miles -- of the Best in the Desert Nevada 1000 by himself after Grider was injured. Cooper and Grider finished third in class on their Honda XR650R.

"When Honda signed us, they basically told us that we wouldn't win a race this year because it would take us a year to learn the bike," said Cooper, a three-time Best in the Desert champion in the Pro 250 class.

"After this last race, our boss (Bruce Ogilvie) said, 'I told you guys it was going to take you a long time to learn, but you guys are going to win a few races this year. You guys have already mastered what it takes a long time for most people to do.' "

While landing a ride with a factory team such as Honda was a dream come true for Cooper, being able to race in his hometown is equally rewarding.

"This race is an awesome deal -- especially being in Henderson," he said. "They haven't had anything in Henderson since the Mint 400. This kind of brings something back to Henderson for the people to go out and watch and I think it's going to be a big, popular thing over the years if they continue doing it."

With more than $30,000 in added purse, a 50 percent payback of entry fees and significant contingency posting, the final cash and contingency prizes will top $500,000. As part of the bonus purse, the first overall motorcycle finisher will receive an additional $3,000 and the first overall ATV finishers $2,000.

SCORE rules require that the driver/rider of record must either start or finish to earn a class victory. O'Neal, with different co-riders in each class, will race on separate Honda XR650R motorcycles in Class 30 (for riders over 30 years old) and Class 40 (for riders over 40).