Coming in as a former champion and a veteran of this class, you seem to always find a way to be competitive. You've got this young crowd now of Jett, Hunter, Chase, kind of pushing the pace. What's your, what's your process to kind of elevate your game?
Yeah, it's not easy, right? Like I said it last year, you know, if it wasn't for dang Jett, I would have beat all the other guys that have beaten me before, right? So, I think just constantly evolving, that's always been my attitude it’s like, “Hey, if we're not getting better, then what are we doing?” So, I think that's the big thing, right? I've learned and taken away and I think making this step to Yamaha was a really good step for me and my career, I felt like it was able to really re-spark my love for the sport and just like wanting to get better and I felt like the bike gave me a platform to be much more competitive. So, it's not easy. Those guys, like you said, are young and they're fit and they're in their prime and I gotta rely on experience sometimes which isn't a bad thing, you know, I think, like I've always said, and I'll say until I'm done. Like I am hard to beat over 17 rounds. Right? And there'll be nights where I'm sure Jett or Chase will take off and win the main easily. But like I said, I think over a championship, I can stay in it.

A little bit more on the past weekend, obviously, it was a hard hit, and it was tough to see, you don't see guys go off like that and be okay afterwards. Like with a stinger in your shoulder, you think it's done, and you can’t really lift it for a couple of days. Like, can you lift it? Like, where are you at with it?
No, that's exactly what it was, I'm all good. A little stiff but I mean, at the time when you're impacting, everything on me was just like locked up, right? And there was trouble breathing, I couldn't really move like my shoulder was in some pain. So, you just think the worst, right? I'm like, “Man, is this thing out?” So, as every minute goes by, you kind of calm down, you kind of think about what hurts, what doesn't and then an hour and then a day. And so it was scary, you know, in the moment, like I said, I folded myself and my left arm and thumb was banged up and then my shoulder and upper body, like you're not really breathing like you want to and stuff. So, it’s more scary than anything. But yeah, now, like I said, I came back to the States I saw Doc G last two days went and we did x-rays and everything and everything's fine. Just one of those, if you get thrown off of a building on your head, you're gonna feel it for a few days. So, yeah, it shouldn't take it away from training. I cycled yesterday. I was able to do some little bit of gym work, some therapy and yeah, it was more scary than anything for sure.

So much is said about your racecraft and that's where you excel. But is it possible that that's actually doing you a disservice? Because 2019, 2021 we saw you could be the fastest guy with a ton of main event wins. So, all of this talk about you being there at the end is that actually unfair? Because there's this whole other side of it.
I wouldn't say unfair. But yeah, like you said, I think the goal is to be fast as well, right? And I think last year we showed that. Like, I felt like I came into last season and everyone that was kind of a talking was like, “Wow, Coop's going fast this year.” And I think I set two pole positions last year, which I hadn't done in like four years or something crazy from the stats. So, there's both, right. I think that's why my racecraft is important. My starts, my this, my that but I do feel to your point that I can, you know when I'm on also be the fastest guy that night. And I think we even saw last year with the fastest times of the race, stuff like that. So, yeah, you're constantly evolving. I mean, I think everyone has a certain perspective of me and that's what I keep saying is like, “Hey, I feel like I don't ever get put on the ‘hey, he can win a championship’ list.” So, it's always nice just to kind of stay low key come in and know what it takes.

I think it gives you an opportunity to surprise the competition every single year, which you know what Jett's gonna do, you know what Chase is gonna do, but you are always overlooked, which almost gives you an advantage.
Yeah for sure. I mean, I think definitely from the media side of the fan’s perspective, I always come in under the radar. I mean, I do think from the racer side, like they're not oblivious, they're never gonna count me out. Just like I would never count any of those guys out. You know, some people have good years, some people have bad years, and it takes one little thing to turn that trajectory, right. So, yeah, I think definitely coming in a little bit under the radar is not a bad thing by any means. But sometimes it is nice to remind people like, “Hey, I still can compete. I'm still just as fast as these guys and I can still on any given night go out there and win.”

Looking back at 2019, 2021. Do you feel like now, you can go just as fast? Do you feel like every single area of your skill set is just a sharp, if not sharper than it was in those championship winning years?
Yeah, I think I'm truly the best version of myself I've ever been, right? And I think even when I look at my championship years, there were some weekends last year that I rode way better than I did in those years and it was a third place, or not even on the podium. I think it's evolved so much since then. I think, Eli, Kenny, all the guys that have been in those eras would say the same thing. So, even for myself, just going out there and when I execute a race well, I think the level of that race last year was a good 20% better than say 2021 even. So, I think that's the sport, that every year everyone's getting better. There's more competition that makes you rise or otherwise you get left behind.

Historically in your career, 10 minutes before the gate, don't even look at you, like all of us know, don't cross paths with you because you're just so locked in. How do you do that over and over? And how does it feel to know at this stage in your career you can get in the zone, totally block out all the other shit that's happening.
I think it's a definitely an attribute of mine. I think it's just something that I've always been like, and you just have that switch, right? Like you can be off all day or practice doesn't go well or whatever, but I always have enough confidence and belief in myself that when it's main event time, I have an opportunity to go and perform and sometimes it doesn't go that way by any means. But I think I take it maybe too serious sometimes where, you know, some guys are maybe more happy go lucky and like, “Oh I didn't win tonight, whatever” and you gotta put it in perspective. But I look at it as like, “Man, this job is everything to me. Like I wake up every day to chase my dream, which is to be a champion.” And if I'm doing something that isn't gonna put me in that category or that situation, then I'm not gonna do it. So, I think that's where I take a lot of pride in the amount of sacrifices that I've made to lock in and go, “You know what, F-off and I'm gonna make this happen” type thing.

Okay, two kids now, you Mariah have been together for a while how do you find that balance between racing and being a dad?
It has been tough. But I feel like it's been a really good balance for me. I feel like now when I'm at the track, I'm at the track and then I'm able to go home, shut my brain off, be a good dad. Try to interact with my kids and obviously my wife's great with that. She understands that our career is relatively short, but we're also able to make memories and travel as a family and do all these things as a family, which is incredible, right. I think I'll look back one day and get to say, “Man, I, I lived my dream and traveled the world as a family” and not a lot of people can say that. And I think it shows, like my kids are young, but as they're getting older, I'd like to show them like, “Hey, if you put your mind and soul into something you will get rewarded or you work hard, there is benefits to that.” So definitely a lot different than 18-year-old Coop for sure. Or even, those championship years. But I think it's been an awesome adventure and I do have to look back and pinch myself sometimes, you know, being a kid from North Carolina to be here and have a family and still be one of the five champions on the line and still able to win a championship. It's pretty damn awesome.

What's something riding technique wise that you like to focus on that you feel has helped elevate your game and then maybe even something that would help elevate the average rider who might be watching our videos or reading articles.
I think there has been a switch, as we've seen with Jett and Chase and these guys like technique is kind of, it's always been important, right. But I feel like it's almost back in if that makes sense. So, I think for me, it's been something at least this last year, I was always focused on getting my feet placement right. For me trying to stand a lot more, we see how much Chase and Jett like to use their legs on the motorcycle. I think that that really does help, and we still work on things throughout the week, sections and when we're doing that stuff, we're very technique based, and I think that's been a benefit. And for the kids watching, I think it's something where, as we see, like my technique is not super flashy. I'm not known for “Man Coop scrubbed the crap out of that jump” or anything like that. But I do think being a well-rounded rider in all those regards is important to have a successful career on this platform in the pro ranks for sure.

You said that you’re hard to beat over 17 rounds. So obviously, consistency is key. At what point in a race day do you decide, “I'm just gonna do the best I can and not chance it.”
I think it's usually in the main event, right? Like I don't think any of us go into a race day going, “Oh, I'm just gonna play it safe today.” But I think what I mean by that is more like, there's days where you're gonna be sick or maybe a little stiff or you do have a practice crash and the odds are kind of stacked against you. And I think then the perspective changes a little bit, right? Like, “Hey, tonight, let's just get a start and see where that puts us.” And maybe you don't gel at the track. There are some weekends where the track is like, “Oh, it's made for me this weekend” you know, it's this or that or some weekends you're like, “Man, this is really kind of pulling out my weaknesses and I'm just gonna kinda maybe not override and put myself at a risk” or something like that. But I think, you kind of make that decision on the fly. You don't ever go in the race day, like, “Yeah, I'm just gonna settle for a third today.” I think you have some of that in the main event, if maybe you have some moments or there's been times too where I've seen my championship rival crash out. You either kind of have a decision to make like, “Hey, am I gonna take it easy or am I gonna try to maximize points?” That's kind of an internal battle you have with yourself and at least for me, but maybe that is the racecraft that we always talk about.