Photos by: Hoppenworld
When things are going your way in a motocross Championship, sometimes you can do no wrong. Right now, that is exactly how this Championship is going for Star Racing / Yamaha’s Cooper Webb. Heading into Washougal, Cooper had a 38-point lead, but even after a come from behind third in moto one and a crash that lead to a sixth in moto two, the #17 still landed on the podium and increased his Championship lead to 51 points heading into the break.
Not only did Cooper increase his points lead, but he also crawled a little deeper under Monster Energy / Pro Circuit / Kawasaki’s Joey Savatgy’s skin in the process. After coming from behind after a bad start to finish third—losing two points to Savatgy—in the opening moto, Coop ripped a rare holeshot in moto two. Savatgy immediately went after the red plate holder and executed a very aggressive block pass on a downhill off-camber corner that allowed Joey’s teammate Austin Forkner to pass them both. One turn later, though, Joey left the door open, and Cooper paid the #37 back with an aggressive block pass that took not only he and Savatgy down but also took Star Racing / Yamaha’s Jeremy Martin down as well.
Click play to watch video of the chaotic scene early in moto two.
The three of them all got going again, but with Cooper making it back to sixth and Joey and Jeremy only coming back to finish 11th and 17th, Cooper was able to stretch his points lead. After the race, Joey let Cooper know he wasn’t happy with his payback move, and the two had to be separated in the podium area. The two left the podium area, and after submitting urine samples for a schedule drug test, they both got a talking to from the AMA. We’re not sure what was exactly said, but Cooper was asked about it in his post race press conference interview.
Let’s talk about an interesting day for you, I think. They were some really hard fought finishes, no question about it. Go ahead and give us your version of how your day went.
For what happened, it was good. Obviously we want to win but we weren’t close to that today so that was a bit of a bummer. In the first moto, I got a bad start. I just didn’t put myself in a good situation. I came back up to third which I was stoked on. Joey [Savatgy] and Alex [Martin] were riding really good that first moto, so I was happy with that. In the second moto, I got the holeshot, and then we all got tangled up and we all three went down. It was just a mad dash to get up and go for it and get the positions you can get, so I just put my head down. The track was really sketchy, so it was tough to really push. With the shadows and everything like that, it was hard to push through it, so I was pretty stoked on being able to come back up.
Cooper, do you want to take us through a little bit more detail of the ruckus that happened, from your perspective?
From my perspective, I got a holeshot, which was sick! I don’t ever do that. I came down that downhill and I felt like I had a pretty tight inside line, and Joey came in aggressive. I basically went off the track, he went way inside, and Austin [Forkner] got around us. That was a little—whatever you want to call it, that’s racing. In the next corner, he went to the middle in that left hander. I went inside and basically our lines met in that chicane, and we hit. I got sketchy and I don’t know what happened to him. I was just holding on trying not to fall, and then I felt the bump and crashed. All I saw were bikes and people. I was just trying to get up, and it was a mad dash. I knew there was a couple guys down but I didn’t know who. I was just trying to get my bike and get going and see what we can do.
What were you guys [you and Joey] saying to each other after the race?
Ah, he came up all mad. I don’t know why. I tried to keep my cool because I’ve had some run-ins before, so I’m proud of myself. I feel like I’ve matured a little bit and didn’t say what I really wanted to say (laughs), but it is what it is. I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing, and I like that stuff. It fires me up!
You guys ended up at the AMA truck afterwards. What was said at the AMA truck?
They were just trying to calm us down. I feel like I was pretty calm about it, and he was definitely fired up. What for; I don’t really know. Like I said, I can see where he’s coming from, but at the same time, I felt like his mood was a bit unnecessary. It cost him and I the lead, and that’s what we want to do is try to win. I thought, as crazy it all as it all was, it was pretty fun. (laughs) To see all three of us down, and I’m just like, “Holy cow, let’s get going.” I knew it was going to be a battle, and this track is hard to pass, so I knew I was going to be making some moves. Definitely a strange turn of events, but I think it definitely spiced up the race.
You have a pretty big points lead now, so does that give you room to maybe be more aggressive? How do you find that balance between going for the Championship and going for wins?
I feel like that’s what got me to where I am now. I’m just going to keep it up, and now we have a break now. Every time I’m on the track, I feel like whatever happens points-wise is what happens. I try not to think about that. Every time I’m in a race, I try to get a moto win. If something does happen like that, at least be on the podium. Like I said, I think I matured a lot this year. Last year—which I was third and not in the title hunt—I would just go for it no matter what, if not crash. This year I know my limits, and I know that if everything is not right, I’m not going to go for it as much as I would earlier in the season. But at the same time, I have a pretty good gap. It’s not like it’s a one- or two-point thing where you’re walking on eggs. It’s comfortable, but I need to keep doing what I’m doing and try to win some more races.
Do you feel like you dodged a bullet today? You went 3-6, but with your closest rivals having their own problems, you were still able to increase your lead to fifty-one points.
I wouldn’t say dodge the bullet, and those results aren’t that good. I mean, I was on the podium, but after finishing first or second the past five races, that’s not what we want to do. With the circumstances that happened, I would say it was a good solid recovery. I would have loved to have gone 1-1, but at the same time, I could have been a lot worse in that second moto. I also could have done a lot worse that first moto. We’ll take it and keep it as motivation, for sure.
If someone told you at the beginning of the year with your broken wrist that you would have a 51-point lead after Washougal, what would you have told them?
(laughs) They’re crazy!
I want to let you know, we like unedited Cooper too. (laughs)
(laughs) Yeah, I do too.
