Tyler Cooper stands by the 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis that he’ll drive this weekend in the pro stock demolition derbies.
Submitted photo
Tyler Cooper has won at the Johnson County 4-H Fair on a Friday night, and his car has been the last one running on a Saturday.
Granted, three summer were wedged in between, but the 33-year old Trafalgar resident hopes to tighten the gap considerably as he prepares to take part in both nights of pro stock competition this weekend.
Cooper will maneuver his 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis around the dirt (or mud) surface on Friday night, the objective being to place as high as possible while attempting to preserve his ride for another night of competition.
It makes for interesting stratagy that first go-round. Be aggressive, but not too aggressive.
How a driver places is based on that person’s two-night point total. For instance, should Cooper finish sixth on Friday and second on Saturday, he’ll wind up with a total of eight points.
The person with the fewest points at the conclusion of the second night is the fair’s pro stock derby champion for 2023.
Like most anything else, traces of good luck are always welcome. Cooper knows from years of demolition derby experience that other factors promise to play a role as well.
“You definitely have to have some good equipment,” Cooper said. “And, anymore, it’s a numbers game. My wife, Becca, will have to hold a cage bar so I can do whatever I need to get done.
“And just having some good buddies I can call to help.”
The third of the four Cooper boys is car No. 22, a carry-over of his father’s jersey number when playing football at Whiteland years ago.
“I started out when I was 14,” Cooper said. “My dad (Marty) derbied for years, and once he started getting older, he sort of passed the torch along. All of us have derbied at one time or another.”
Cooper’s older brothers, Justin and Brian, both tried it. The same can be said for younger sibling, Jacob. Tyler is the only one still active in such competitions. He estimates he’s missed only three or four local derbies in the almost two decades since he began.
“It’s the camaraderie,” Cooper said. “It’s still an adrenaline rush. Hitting someone at 15 miles an hour, it’s awesome. And with derbying, you have to be a car builder and a driver. I feel I’m a better driver than I am a builder.”
Tony Dunn, who has won numerous pro stock derby titles at the Johnson County 4-H Fair since the early 1990s, has gone dent for dent with Cooper, and has nothing but respect for him.
“Tyler is one of those guys who prepares himself,” Dunn said. “He never gets in a rush, and if his car isn’t the way he likes, he waits until the next time.
“He’s a good driver as well. Just someone who is attentive to what’s going on around him.”
Running the same car twice in as many nights calls for a certain strategy, Cooper said.
“Of course, I’d love to win both nights,” Cooper said. “I know only three people who have won both nights with the same car. It’s the driver mentality where you don’t want to trash the car and have nothing left.”
IF YOU GO
Johnson County Fair demolition derby
When: Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m.
Schedule: Friday – Power Wheels, Youth Compacts, MWFA, Mini Gut-N-Go, Pro Stock. Saturday – Power Wheels, Youth Compacts, Mini Gut-N-Go, MiniVan Madness, Full-Size Stock, Pro Stock
