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Name: Edward Cooper
Born: December 26, 1946
Place of Birth: Stockbridge, MI
Michigan Residency: Lifelong resident.
Current Address: 9700 Myers Rd
Clark Lake, MI 49234
Phone: 517-529-4306
Spouse: Michele Cooper
Children: Brent Cooper, Brian Cooper
Person(s) nominating: Kevin Copeland (Brother) 517-206-3882.
Mark Morgan (Friend) 616-550-8088

Role in motorsports: Driver, Car Builder, Team Owner, Entrepreneur, Sponsor, Driving Coach and Mentor.
 
First Interest in racing: Ed first became interested in racing as an 8-year-old boy, when he and his older brother started racing Track Rabbits (go karts) at an oiled dirt track on the south side of Jackson.
 
Started racing: 1954
 
Retired from driving: September 29, 1996.
Although retired from driving, Ed is still active in motorsports as a quarter midget team owner, team sponsor and driving coach.
 
Location of first race: Jackson, MI.
 
Location of last race: Toledo Speedway, Toledo, OH
 
Most important regional win(s): 1976 - Glass City 200, Toledo Speedway
 
Track Championships: 1977 – Toledo Speedway
 
Racing Career Summary:
Ed enjoyed a 42-year driving career from 1954 to 1996

1956 – At the age of 8, Ed started Track Rabbits in Jackson, Mi. He races karts until entering high school. After graduation, Ed enlisted in the United States Marine Corp in 1966 and served 2 tours of duty in Vietnam as a Grounds Captain and Jet Engine Technician on Phantom jets. After being honorably discharged, Ed came home to Michigan to begin his college education and started racing on weekends.
 
1970–1973: Ed started racing stock cars on dirt at Butler and Mt. Pleasant Speedways.

1974–1996: Tired of racing on dirt, Ed started racing Late Models on asphalt with immediate success. During his career, he raced at Spartan, Flat Rock, Auto City, Toledo, Galesburg, Hartford, Kalamazoo, Berlin, Owosso, Cayuga, Winchester, Salem, Anderson, Queen City, Milwaukee, Nashville, Michigan International Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and numerous other Midwest tracks.
Ed raced a wide variety of cars and with numerous sanctioning bodies, including Outlaw late models, ASA, USAC Stock Cars, ARCA and NASCAR Winston Cup.
1980: Ed started Competition Chassis / Warhorse Racing. As a Howe Dealer, Ed worked nights and weekends building customer cars while teaching Welding at the Jackson Career Center during the day. He built over 50 cars in 5 years.

1992: Ed co-founded Fastlane Footwear. Fastlane was an athletic shoe company, which marketed and sold licensed athletic footwear with the NASCAR, Davey Allison, Rusty Wallace, Michael Waltrip, Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet Heartbeat of America and Corvette logos.

1996: After hanging up his helmet. Ed turned his talent and determination toward building a successful welding equipment business located in Jackson, MI.

2018: Ed now owns a USAC quarter midget team, which gives his Grandsons, Cash and Nolan, the opportunity to follow in their Grandfather’s tires tracks. Ed attends as many races locally as his schedule allows and sponsors several mini sprint, dirt late model and modified drivers in the area.
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