YOUNG GUNS: COOPER WEBSTER

Young Guns: Cooper Webster

A youngster that has risen to prominence in the virtual and real-life worlds thanks to a win in the ARG eSports Cup and a recent S5000 test is Victorian Year 12 student Cooper Webster.

By HEATH McALPINE

Last Friday was the first opportunity for Webster to drive a race car other than his family-run Hyundai Excel on the track when he tested an S5000 at Phillip Island. It was a successful test and only enhanced Webster’s desire to join the class in the future.

“I was just amazed by the power the car had, under my right foot the amount of horsepower the S5000s had was just mind blowing,” Webster exclaimed.

“I was happy with myself that I could learn the car so quickly and I got confident by the end of the day, which was more than what I expected. At the end of the day, the car was just so awesome to drive, I really pushed the limits of the car through the high aero corners like Turn 1 and coming onto the straight.”

Coming from a family that has motorsport in its blood, it was inevitable that he’d be behind the wheel of some sort of race car. His father, Jason raced karts then Formula Ford before family duties took over.

Webster Junior’s interest started when racing BMX at the age of four before changing to karts five years later, which culminated in the KA4 Junior title and a trip to America where he competed alongside Jack Doohan in Miami.

“I had never driven a senior kart up to that point as well as the X30 Miami engine,” Cooper told Auto Action. “It was a new experience going over there learning the faster kart, the grippier tyres and the racing over there.

“The whole atmosphere and the event were unreal.”

Success continued in his next career step joining the popular Hyundai Excels. Webster lists his highlights as qualifying on the front row in front of the Supercars teams at Winton, starting second at last year’s Excel Nationals, a state round win at Phillip Island and an enduro win alongside Toby Pope.

Part of a three-car family-run team with uncle and father in two, using the pay from his part-time job at McDonalds to buy parts for his Excel. The category has enabled him to learn the basics of car racing within an achievable budget.

“The biggest difference between karting and cars is just the racing that goes on,” he explained.

“Everything is a lot heavier and reacts a lot less forcing you to make decisions a lot earlier compared to karts. Getting used to changing gears, the H-pattern, the clutch, using your mirrors, how much room you have around you, it’s just a lot different.

“It’s definitely an important learning curve.”

Webster added a virtual victory to his tally when he joined international touring car driver Josh Files to win the ARG eSports Bathurst 2 Hour Enduro, a track he hopes to race on in the future.

He hopes that will be as a Supercars regular and he believes S5000 can get him there.

“Absolutely, I think this is a great step up in motorsport that will get me to where my aspirations are and hopefully something does come of it,” Webster said.

“That’s what we’re aiming for.”

This web edition of Young Guns aims to highlight some of the talent from within the junior ranks. If, like Cooper, you fit the criteria please email [email protected] with a blurb about yourself, the categories you’ve competed in, some imagery to go with the story and contact details.

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