Cooper Webb celebrates the win over the finish line. Photo by: Hoppenworld
Two rounds down in the 250SX Western Regional Championship of the 2015 Monster Energy Supercross series and we have two first-time winners. At the opener in Anaheim it was Troy Lee Designs/KTM’s Jessy Nelson, and this weekend it was Star Racing/Yamaha’s Cooper Webb getting the monkey off the back.
Heading into this year with a solid rookie season behind him, there were high expectations for Webb. The sophomore professional had a massively successful amateur career and most expected him to do much of the same at the next level. Well, on Saturday night in Phoenix, he lived up to all those expectations by running away from the field for the first win of his professional supercross career. With that, the #17 now sits in second place in the Championship behind Nelson and has a head full of confidence heading into round three in Anaheim next Saturday.
After the main event, we caught up with Cooper in the Star Racing/Yamaha pits to ask him about his night in the “Valley of the Sun”. You can read what Cooper had to say in his “Race Rewind” interview below.
Huge win for you tonight at the 2015 Phoenix SX. How does it feel to get the first one?
It’s awesome. To get my first-ever supercross win is unreal. During the whole off-season this is what we’ve been working for. Unfortunately, A1 didn’t go our way, but I had a great feeling about today. I qualified first in both practices and just had that feeling all day long. I was actually sick all this week and didn’t get to ride except on press day. I was a little nervous, but I guess when it’s time to race you gotta go racing.
You looked great from start to finish today. Were you just gelling well with tonight’s track?
Yeah, I really liked the track. Last year, I really enjoyed this stadium and the track, but it had a really good flow tonight. It was technical and it got rough—which was actually the separator.
In the main you got a great start, but got passed by Malcolm [Stewart] and Jessy [Nelson] before you went back after it and got the lead. Can you talk about the main event a little?
Yeah, I was actually second going into the first turn and kind of got hung up behind [Zach] Osborne, and Malcolm went by us in the whoops. I got around Osborne, and Nelson was dive bombing me in a couple corners, but I managed to get away from him. Malcolm lead—I think it was three of four laps—and I ended up getting around him with a nice clean pass. From there, I tried to check out, and that’s what I felt like I did. It was nice.
Did the emotion of getting your first win ever start to creep in towards the end and tighten you up a little bit?
Yeah, I tightened up a little bit—not tighten up, but that feeling of “oh man, you’re about to win.” (laughs) So you start to think about it. It was good, though. I just kind of calmed down and just chilled, I guess you could say. It almost came easy.
Alright, well, you’re second in points now behind Nelson heading back to Anaheim for A2. How are you feeling now heading back to Anaheim?
I’m actually a big fan of Anaheim as well. Last year at Anaheim 2, I got second, and that was my first ever podium. So, I’m looking to get another win there and get closer to that red plate.
Congratulations on getting the monkey off the back and getting that first win.
Thank you.
