You hear all the time about Aussie racers coming to the United States to run professional categories, but one racer from Down Under has his eyes on sportsman racing. 

Veteran Australian racer Graeme Cooper will race at the World’s oldest and most prestigious drag race, the 53rd Annual NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis in September.

Cooper, 49, will contest Stock Eliminator, driving a 1968 Chevelle Malibu Station Wagon owned by Canadian Norm Lapointe and powered by a 327ci V8 engine.

“Racing in America is every Australian drag racer’s dream, especially at the U.S. Nationals – it is the ‘Big Go’. There’s nothing bigger or more special,” Cooper said.

You hear all the time about Aussie racers coming to the United States to run professional categories, but one racer from Down Under has his eyes on sportsman racing. 

Veteran Australian racer Graeme Cooper will race at the World’s oldest and most prestigious drag race, the 53rd Annual NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis in September.

Cooper, 49, will contest Stock Eliminator, driving a 1968 Chevelle Malibu Station Wagon owned by Canadian Norm Lapointe and powered by a 327ci V8 engine.

“Racing in America is every Australian drag racer’s dream, especially at the U.S. Nationals – it is the ‘Big Go’. There’s nothing bigger or more special,” Cooper said.

It will not be the first time he has raced at the U.S. Nationals, Cooper having also contested Stock at the 40th Anniversary event in 1994. Then he made the class finals and reached the third round of eliminations.

“I thought 1994 was just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but I’ve got the chance to live the dream again,” he said.

Organized by expat-Aussie racer Wally Clark, Lapointe’s car is not too dissimilar to his own, a 1964 EH Holden Premier Station Wagon called ‘the Bricklayer’.

“With the car being similar I should feel right at home, although Norm’s Chevelle has the steering wheel on the opposite side of the car!”

Accompanied by his wife, Linda, Cooper lands in the U.S. mid-August and will familiarise himself with the Chevelle before travelling to Indianapolis for the event.

Cooper said the trip was brought about due to the efforts and support of others.

“Without Linda’s incredible support, the friendship and hard work of Wally Clark, the generosity of Norm Lapointe, and the assistance of ANDRA and the NHRA – especially Mary Ramirez and Cathy Dyson in the NHRA’s national field office – none of this would be possible. Hopefully I can repay them with a good performance.”

With his famous ‘Bricklayer’, Cooper has won three Australian Super Sedan Championships (1986, ’93, ’95) and over 30 ANDRA national events and titles. Included amongst those are a Grand Finals and two Winternationals victories, five South Australian and three Victorian Championships, in addition to 10 Victorian Divisional titles.

Cooper also won the Super Stock title at the Australian equivalent to the U.S. Nationals, the Australian Nationals, while driving a HT Monaro for Tony Busscher in 1998.

The 53rd Annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals takes place at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis, Indiana 29 August – 3 September.