Posted by: Richard Markland richard@offroadviking.com

Open A Rider Cooper Bailey

Back before Christmas I sat down with Oklahoma’s very own Cooper Bailey who recently had signed with the Obermeyer/RRU/ORV race team for the 2012 season. Also, I have to give a shout out to Coop for his engagement to Jordon Milbauer, also of the Obermeyer/RRU/ORV race team. Congratulations you to all the guys at ORV wish you all the best!!

ORV: How has the off-season been treating ya?

Coop: It’s been going great. Not a whole a lot of riding and trying to relax. Trying not to stress the every weekend getting ready to race. I’ve mainly been working with my dad; last week we worked a shutdown at a local papermill. We were working 12 to 14 hour days. Plus, I’ve been traveling to Jordon’s parents house to do some work. Jordon leaves about 100 miles from me in Texas. So I’ve been putting on a lot of miles. A bad hail storm came through and did some damage to Jordon’s house, so I’ve been helping out getting everything back in order down there too.

ORV: How has Jordon been doing?

Coop: She’s been doing great. She’s working out and following Jason’s (Mr. Raines) plan to the tee.

ORV: What are your plans for the holidays?

Coop: We’re going to just hang out with family. Jordon’s family is coming up from south Texas and some are coming down from Ohio. I have family out in New Mexico that we might be going out to visit around the New Year’s time frame.

ORV: Have been doing any racing during the off-season?

Coop: We have a winter series going on. We missed the first race of the series because it was the same weekend of Loretta’s, but Jordon raced the second event and came in third. I went out there and didn’t have any fun. I’m really over Texas riding. We have good properties but the tracks need a little work on late out. We raced the third weekend, I was running fourth but when I came around the last lap; Jordon runs women’s pro class and they race the same time I race, and went by a pretty bad crash and it was Jordon. She had high sided in a corner, so I pulled over to make sure she was okay. She was but she was pretty loopy for a while.

ORV: Well I’m glad to hear Jordon is doing alright. ORV: We’ve seen the video of the monster pizza. Why don’t you tell everyone about it and where you found it?

Coop: Oh man, that thing was…… One of our buddies we were staying with in Kentucky told me about it and the challenge that came along with it. We talked about it for a few weeks, but we really never got a chance to go after it. We finally had the opportunity to go up there one night…. and we really thought we were going to kill it. It was a pretty big pizza, but we thought we could tackle it pretty easy. About half through we still felt good, but as we neared the last few pieces we knew we were done. It’s located in Shelbyville, KY.

ORV: The video you all did was great. We really enjoyed getting to see that.

Coop: Thanks.

ORV: What are your plans for 2012?

Coop: Right now just to race GNCC. Jordon wants to hit some of the National Enduro Events if we can. She really likes those races. We plan on staying in Kentucky next year.

ORV: What will you be riding for 2012?

Coop: Obermeyer/Raines Riding Universty/Offroadviking.com Team in the Open A Class on board a yz450f.

ORV: How did you get hooked up with Keith Obermeyer considering you are from Oklahoma and he’s in Jasper, IN?

Coop: Last year we only ran OMA’s, and at the end of the year I got a ride on a KTM. Jordon was riding an old Kawi and I wanted to get her another bike. We started messaging people we knew in GNCC. One thing led to another and through a couple of channels we ended up with Keith’s number. She got hooked up with Keith and Janurary one we went and picked up a WR250f. She was riding for Obermeyer with AmPro backing. I started out the year on my KTM and I kept having dumb stuff happening to the bike and after I had issues four races in a row I knew I had to get a new bike. They tried to give me a 350 to ride but I had to race Texas. I was worried about not having support. Keith told me if I ever needed anything just give him a call. So I called him and he gave me a good deal on my bike and that was that.

ORV: Well we’re glad you were able to find a bike that fit you.

Coop: Yeah me too. The bike has been great. The only stuff I’ve had problems with has been dumb things I’ve caused during maintenance. Even when I was on my KTM Keith was still helping me out. He’s a great guy to have in your corner.

ORV: What are your off-season plans?

Coop: We’re racing the local series and Jordon is doing awesome and wants to make a run at the championship. Also, we’re trying to work and make enough money to not have to work during the season.

ORV: With you all being from Oklahoma and Texas what do you for jobs and living arrangements while the GNCC Season is going on?

Coop: Well, this year God really blessed us. I never really had to work a full time job. I worked for dad a little bit and I worked for the friends we stayed with in Kentucky. The first of the year we did pretty good in our winter season and they paid a bonus so we had a little extra going into the first few rounds……. We stayed in South Carolina with the AmPro team for a couple of months. Then we headed home and I worked and saved some money. After that, we stayed in Tennessee with the Ashburn Family for a couple more months. For the summer break I went home and worked. After the break, we stayed with the Garmins from Kentucky. A lot of help from friends….

ORV: It really seems that the GNCC community is there to help whenever someone is in need…..

Coop: Yeah, everyone is really nice and always offering to help in any way.

ORV: With Florida being a few months away, is there anywhere out west for training for the sand?

Coop: Yeah we have a place we race in the winter called Bonita. It’s real sandy, but the whoops are like half the size of Florida. It’s a 100 miler and I ironman it. It takes me about four and half hours. There’s another race after that, but that’s all the sand riding I do. I don’t really train for the sand. I do like the sand, so I do better in it than most people.

ORV: What are your New Year’s resolutions?

Coop: Yeah, I want to be the best Christian that I can be, and I want to bring as many people to Christ as I can.

ORV: Awesome! We all need to work on that! Tell everyone who you want to thank for making all this possible.

Coop: First of all, I want to thank the Lord for blessing Jordon and I for having great friends and family for helping us out all year long. You know, letting us stay with them to help us financially when they could. Secondly, I would like to thank Obermeyer Yamaha, Raines Riding University, and Offroadviking.com. You guys have really helped out. Also, I would like to thank Fly Racing, GE, Accelerade, FMF, Kenda Tires, Sunstar Sprockets, HBD, ZipTy Racing, Rekluse, GPR, Factory Connections, X Brand Goggles, IMS, CV4, Wiseco, Fastway, EBC, Unabiker, and Flat Tire Defender.