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Ashley Cooper (race driver)
Encyclopedia
Ashley Alan Cooper was an Australia
n race car driver. Cooper died from severe head and internal injuries after a high speed racing accident. Preliminary investigation suggests that his car may have clipped a guard rail at over 200 km/h at the Clipsal 500 meeting in Adelaide.
HQ sedans. Leading the 2005 Commodore Cup championship for most of the year, Cooper finished fourth at the final round at Eastern Creek Raceway
. In 2006, Cooper was crowned V8 Utes
Rookie of the Year. He competed in three rounds of the 2007 Fujitsu V8 Supercar
Series, with a top 15 finish at Queensland Raceway
.
Cooper suffered severe head and internal injuries after crashing his Holden VZ Commodore into a guard rail at over 200 km/h during the Fujitsu V8 Supercars Series
race at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide on 23 February 2008.
Cooper had been given emergency medical treatment trackside from medical teams, including Dr Bill Griggs
, who performed a tracheotomy
to assist with Cooper's breathing. Cooper was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital
by ambulance and was put on life support. He died two days later, at the age of 27. A registered organ donor, Cooper's heart, lungs, kidneys, pancreas and liver have been donated to seven people, including a six-year-old child.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n race car driver. Cooper died from severe head and internal injuries after a high speed racing accident. Preliminary investigation suggests that his car may have clipped a guard rail at over 200 km/h at the Clipsal 500 meeting in Adelaide.
Career
Cooper began his racing career in 1998 driving HoldenHolden
GM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...
HQ sedans. Leading the 2005 Commodore Cup championship for most of the year, Cooper finished fourth at the final round at Eastern Creek Raceway
Eastern Creek Raceway
Eastern Creek International Raceway is a motorsports circuit located on Brabham Drive, Eastern Creek , New South Wales, Australia, adjacent to the Western Sydney International Dragway. It was built and is owned by the New South Wales Government and is operated by the...
. In 2006, Cooper was crowned V8 Utes
V8 Utes
The V8 Ute Racing Series is an Australian motor racing series for utilities, derived from the Australian Production Car Championship. It was conceived in 2000 by PROCAR chief Ross Palmer and launched March 2001, as V8 Brute Utes, at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide...
Rookie of the Year. He competed in three rounds of the 2007 Fujitsu V8 Supercar
V8 Supercar
V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...
Series, with a top 15 finish at Queensland Raceway
Queensland Raceway
Queensland Raceway nicknamed "the paperclip" is a motor racing circuit located near Ipswich in Queensland, Australia.The circuit plays host to V8 Supercars, the Australian Superbike Championship, Drifting as well as club level racing and ride days....
.
Death
Fujitsu V8 Supercars Series
The Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series is an Australian touring car competition, specifically the second tier series for V8 Supercar competitors. Competing vehicles are older than those utilised in the V8 Supercar Championship series and are run by smaller teams with lower budgets...
race at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide on 23 February 2008.
Cooper had been given emergency medical treatment trackside from medical teams, including Dr Bill Griggs
Bill Griggs
Dr William "Bill" Middleton Griggs AM ASM, began his medical career in 1976 as a volunteer paramedic while studying as a medical student. As a paramedic he attended his 100th fatal road crash prior to graduating as a doctor in 1981...
, who performed a tracheotomy
Tracheotomy
Among the oldest described surgical procedures, tracheotomy consists of making an incision on the anterior aspect of the neck and opening a direct airway through an incision in the trachea...
to assist with Cooper's breathing. Cooper was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital
Royal Adelaide Hospital
The Royal Adelaide Hospital is Adelaide's largest hospital, with 680 beds. Founded in 1840, the Royal Adelaide provides tertiary health care services for South Australia and provides secondary care clinical services to residents of Adelaide's city centre and inner suburbs.The hospital is situated...
by ambulance and was put on life support. He died two days later, at the age of 27. A registered organ donor, Cooper's heart, lungs, kidneys, pancreas and liver have been donated to seven people, including a six-year-old child.