Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper returned to the podium at RedBud MX, finishing third overall (4-2) with a strong second moto performance in Buchanan, Michigan. The sixth round of the Pro Motocross 450MX Championship brought challenging conditions, where teammates Cooper Webb and Eli Tomac battled through adversity to finish ninth (15-8) and 13th (34-7) overall, respectively.
With the riders and YZ450Fs decked out in red, white, and blue, it was another festive Fourth of July weekend at RedBud MX. The temperatures were high, the humidity was thick, and the ruts were deep, making for a demanding day for both riders and machines. Cooper qualified third in the combined times and was around the top five off the start in Moto 1. He dropped to sixth early but maintained a strong pace, working his way to fifth at the halfway mark and then to fourth with four laps to go. In Moto 2, he grabbed another solid start and quickly advanced to second by Lap 2. He took over the lead before the midpoint and stayed up front for several laps before being passed by the series leader. Cooper kept charging and reclaimed second after the rider ahead went down, securing third overall with his fourth moto podium and second overall podium of the season. The New Yorker’s strong result also moved him up to third in the 450MX standings and narrowed the gap to 14 points behind teammate Webb, who still leads in the 450SMX combined points.
After twisting his knee in the second session of qualifying, Webb had a solid effort in ninth and would go on to put in another gritty ride to score valuable points in the title chase. In the first moto, he found himself at the back of the field after a crash in the second corner. Undeterred, he put his head down and battled his way into 11th past the halfway mark and was pushing toward the top 10 when his bike ran out of fuel just before the finish, scoring 15th in the moto. Despite the less-than-ideal gate pick for Moto 2, Webb got a good start inside the top 10 and made his way to seventh in the opening laps. He continued to battle for position, settling into seventh and running a strong pace. After getting passed by Tomac past the halfway point, Webb finished eighth to end the day ninth overall. He plans to have his knee evaluated after the weekend, with an update to follow.
Tomac started the day strong, qualifying fourth, and charged from 10th to third in Moto 1 before a technical issue ended his race early. With the 34th gate pick for Moto 2, the four-time 450MX Champion made an impressive charge from 26th on the opening lap to eighth by Lap 7, then closed the gap to Webb and made the pass three laps later. After losing too much time to advance further, he settled into seventh, holding the spot to the checkers for 13th overall. Tomac now sits fourth in points, just four behind Cooper.
Round 7 of Pro Motocross – and Round 24 of the SuperMotocross World Championship – is up next, with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team heading to the Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, Minnesota, for the Spring Creek National on July 12.
Rich Simmons – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team Manager
“It was not an ideal day for us with Eli’s bike issue in the first moto, along with Webb running out of fuel just short of the finish. Justin getting on the podium was definitely a huge positive on a day like this. The team did a great job with the quick turnaround between motos to get the bikes ready and make the needed adjustments.”
Justin Cooper – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #32
“It was a good day at RedBud. I felt like we got the bike dialed in right away. In the first moto, I didn’t get the best of starts but made some passes and got up to fourth. I made a run at third, but I tried really hard to get up there, so I was a little bit tired. Then in Moto 2, I got a better start, made my way into the lead, and led for about 10 minutes. Being an American and leading here in front of these fans – it’s a good vibe. It kind of sends chills down your back when you get into the lead at RedBud and everyone’s screaming, yelling, and blowing the air horns. Overall, it was a really good day for me. I felt good on the bike and finished second for third overall. Let’s carry the momentum into next weekend.”
Cooper Webb – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #2
“It was an up-and-down day at RedBud. I felt great in practice, and on the last turn of my good lap, I ripped my left leg off the footpeg and caught my knee pretty bad, which wasn’t great. Then in the first moto, I ended up crashing in turn two, right off the start. I was dead last with my bars and clutch bent, but I made a hard push to get myself into 10th before my bike ran out of fuel in the last turn. In Moto 2, it was just a bad start, but I rode really well and ran seventh until Eli got me late in the moto, and I finished eighth. Overall, it was a very rough day physically and mentally, but my riding was good. I’m going to get my knee checked out on Monday to make sure that we are all good.”
Eli Tomac – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #3
“It was a tough weekend for us. We’ll regroup and finish better in Millville.”