Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb continued to make championship gains, doubling his points lead with a runner-up finish at Round 8 of Monster Energy AMA Supercross at Daytona International Speedway. The two-time 450SX Champion’s sixth podium of 2025 has him heading into the season’s halfway point with a 10-point advantage. Justin Cooper put in a determined ride to secure a fourth-place finish, narrowly missing the podium at the legendary race venue in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Webb qualified fifth in the combined times and then unfortunately, had a tipover at the start of the heat race. Undeterred, the North Carolina rider made an impressive charge through the field to cross the line fourth. In the main event, he got a much better start in third and battled for position, making his way to the runner-up spot on Lap 10. As the clock ran down, the red plate holder closed the gap on the leader but made an error that stalled his advance. With not much time left, Webb rode on to finish comfortably in the runner-up spot, further expanding his championship lead.
Cooper showed strength from the start, topping the timesheets in free practice and qualifying in the runner-up spot. In the heat race, he did not get the start he was looking for in fifth, but he kept pushing until the end, battling for a podium position and ultimately finishing fifth. In the main event, Cooper found himself ninth after the first lap, but once again, he kept fighting and made his way to fifth by the halfway mark. He continued to push and was in a three-rider fight for the final podium spot, making the pass for fourth with two laps to go. Cooper had third in sight but ultimately ran out of time, crossing the line just shy of the podium finish.
Next up for the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 team is Round 9 of Monster Energy AMA Supercross and the SuperMotocross World Championship at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, on March 8.
Rich Simmons – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team Manager
“It was another solid weekend for the team here in Daytona. Cooper and Justin had competitive speed all day, and the team did a good job keeping up with the changing track conditions to keep the guys comfortable out there. I know both guys would like to have finished one position better, but they both rode really well and hope to carry the momentum into Indy. “
Cooper Webb – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #2
“It was a good night, points-wise. It was just a bit of a bummer because I felt like I could’ve had the win tonight and wasn’t able to. Other than that, it was a great night for the team and a great night for the points. We will keep the ball rolling.”
Justin Cooper – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #32
“It was a good day in Daytona. Practice went very well, and I qualified second. I just didn’t get off the gate very well tonight, and I think that was pretty much my only downfall. It was tough. I battled all night and ate a lot of roost. I think I started around 10th in the main. I worked my way up, charged all the way to the end, and made a run at the podium but just came up short. It’s a little bit frustrating. My speed was there today, and everything was good. I just needed to put myself in a better position off the gate.”