BEST of British Paul Cooper has done it again, claiming a second senior national motorcycle grasstrack title in as many years.

The region was a dominant force in the sport during the 1960s and Pickering and District Motor Club member Cooper is fast putting the county back on the racing map.

The 21-year-old joiner from Fulford won the 350cc class in the recent British Champion-ships staged at Much Hoole, Preston, riding his Diamond H Antig Jawa machine.

Cooper's national acclaim follows his British title success in the 250cc class two years ago and four national titles claimed as a junior rider.

Cooper is arguably now the top non-professional rider in the world.

He recently returned from Bordeaux, in the south of France, where he won the C final in the World Longtrack Championship semi-finals riding a 500cc machine.

Cooper's success came despite being invited to compete at four days notice and travelling to the meeting on his 21st birthday.

He will be returning to France on July 6 for the semi-finals of the European Championship and again the following weekend for the next round of the World Longtrack at Marmande.

In September, Cooper, who is supported in his racing by his father, Clive, himself a noted rider for 18 years, will be looking to add the British 500cc Grasstrack title to his growing list of championship crowns.

Cooper will be automatically seeded for those finals in Swingfield, Kent, because of his fifth place finish in 2002.

And with new sponsors and faster engines in place, Cooper will be looking to improve on last year's result.

Woodcock and Sons, a Kent-based building firm, have promised to provide more competitive engines, while Antig Engineering of Gloucester will be supplying the latest monoshock chassis.

Cooper's employer, Peter Thompson's Craftsmen, Sutton-on-the-Forest, also support his racing career, allowing him to take time off at short notice so he can compete at the highest level.

Fellow Pickering club member Rob Bradley, from Slingsby, came seventh in the 250cc national championships at Much Hoole.

Bradley actually sealed his top-ten spot riding the same bike Cooper used to claim his first senior title two years ago.

Also riding in the 250cc class was David Knowles, of Middlethorpe, near Bishopthorpe, who was third.

Updated: 10:18 Saturday, June 28, 2003