By Ben Deatherage
MANKATO, Minn. — Three hundred victories.
Even Nate Coopman has a hard time wrapping his head around that number.
“I can’t believe it,” Coopman said. “It’s pretty amazing to have had that much success.”
On Aug. 1 at Arlington Raceway, the Mankato, Minn., driver reached another milestone by earning the 300th IMCA Sport Compact feature victory of his career, extending his record as the division’s all-time winningest driver.
What began with his first IMCA feature victory in 2011 quickly turned into one of the most dominant seven-year stretches in IMCA history. Between 2011 and 2017, Coopman never won fewer than 21 features in a season, highlighted by a 54-win campaign in 2014 that is tied with Mike Nichols’ 2016 IMCA Stock Car season for the modern-era record for victories in a single IMCA class.
“We were racing four or five nights a week for a while, so I guess I never really looked at it that close,” Coopman said. “When you step back now, it’s pretty incredible.”
Nate Coopman celebrates his 300th career IMCA Sport Compact feature victory at Arlington Raceway while holding daughter Haven. The milestone made the Mankato, Minn., driver the first competitor in division history to reach 300 career feature wins. (Photo by Sarah Moriarty)
Following in Dad’s Tire Tracks
Long before he became the winningest Sport Compact driver in IMCA history, Coopman was simply following his father around the racetrack.
Jerry Coopman spent years racing Stock Cars after he and several friends decided to give it a try at Arlington Raceway and neighboring tracks. As Nate began chasing championships and racing four and five nights a week, Jerry found it increasingly difficult to keep pace with the demands of campaigning a Stock Car. Today, he enjoys competing in high-paying enduro races while also having fun racing alongside the family in the Sport Compact division.
Nate climbed behind the wheel at just 12 years old in 2006 and has raced Sport Compacts ever since.
“It was a dream come true,” he said. “Everything came together, and we were competitive right out of the gate.”
His IMCA debut came in 2011, when he earned National Rookie of the Year honors while scoring his first feature victory.
The milestones followed in rapid succession.
His 100th career victory came at Redwood Speedway on May 15, 2014, where he also swept a makeup feature later that evening. Win No. 200 arrived during Memorial Day weekend in 2016, again at Redwood Speedway.
Along the way, Coopman captured five IMCA National championships, six Minnesota State titles, three North Star Series crowns, four Arlington Raceway championships, four Redwood Speedway titles, four Fairmont Raceway championships, three Murray County Speedway championships, two Worthington Speedway titles, and single championships at Buena Vista Raceway and Jackson Motorplex.
“It’s definitely cool to win multiple national championships,” Coopman said. “It’s a lot of time and commitment, but it definitely feels good to get it done.”
Boone Glory and Family Tradition
For all 300 victories, none stand taller than two nights at Boone Speedway.
Coopman captured IMCA Sport Compact championships at the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s in 2015 and again in 2019.
“The Super Nationals wins stand out,” he said. “It’s a pretty incredible feeling being on the big stage and all the stuff that goes with winning that race.”
The No. 9 on the side of his car carries just as much meaning.
It was Jerry’s number long before Nate climbed behind the wheel.
Rather than choosing something new, Nate simply continued the family tradition, taking over the familiar No. 9 and, over the years, making it one of the most recognizable numbers in IMCA Sport Compact racing.
Family has always been at the center of Coopman’s racing career.
He met his wife, Stephanie, while the two competed against each other on the racetrack. Today, race nights often become family gatherings as Nate, Jerry, Stephanie, and Stephanie’s father, Neil Forsberg, all compete together whenever schedules align.
Slowing Down Without Stepping Away
These days, Coopman’s schedule looks much different than it did during his busiest years.
“We stay local now,” he said. “I have a little girl now, so we slowed down a little bit.”
Away from racing, he works as a quality assurance technician at Jarraff Industries in nearby St. Peter, where specialized tree care equipment is manufactured.
When he’s not at the racetrack, Coopman enjoys traveling with his family, spending time at area water parks and making memories around Minnesota.
The next generation has already found its way to victory lane.
Daughter Haven competed in her first Power Wheels race at just seven months old, giving Nate and Stephanie a front-row seat as another chapter of the family’s racing story begins.
Coopman credits his wife, Stephanie; daughter, Haven; parents, Kim and Jerry; mother- and father-in-law, Wendy and Neil Forsberg; sister-in-law, Aranda; and friends Robby, Mick, Bob and Rich for helping make his success possible. He also thanked sponsors Knish Kustomz and Wilson Auto Repair for their continued support.
Three hundred victories may place Nate Coopman alone atop the IMCA Sport Compact record book.
But for him, the greatest accomplishment isn’t the number beside his name.
It’s watching another generation discover the same passion for racing that once started with him watching his father.
