Cooper Webb’s Podium Streak Continues in Arlington
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb finishes third, with teammate Justin Cooper scoring a top-five result in tricky conditions at Arlington Supercross / Feb 23, 2026 /
The battle for the Monster Energy AMA Supercross premier class crown waged on in Arlington, Texas, with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb once again putting in a good fight for his number-one plate. On a gnarly, deteriorating track inside AT&T Stadium, Webb delivered his fourth consecutive podium in a race that featured all four championship contenders locked in an intense battle.
“It was a sick race, I’m sure, with all four of us bunched up there,” Webb said. “I saw a few openings I probably should've taken earlier in the race. I was too patient tonight, but we’ll take it. I had another great start, and I rode well. The track was pretty crazy; it broke down really gnarly. The win was there, but we didn't get it. Overall, we’ll take another podium.”
Round 7 also served as the Military Appreciation Race, a special night honoring those who have served and continue to serve in the United States Armed Forces. Webb sported a special livery for the race and for the opening ceremonies, adding another meaningful layer to the weekend.
“The military appreciation race is always a fun weekend,” Webb said. “We had a sweet kit for the opening ceremonies, and seeing all the military here, that was awesome.”
Webb has historically been strong at the Dallas Cowboys’ home turf, entering the weekend with seven wins in 11 tries. However, the opening qualifying session in tricky conditions didn’t go as planned for either Webb or teammate Justin Cooper, but the team rebounded for the second session.
“The first qualifying session didn't go as planned,” said Rich Simmons, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 450 Team Manager. “So we made a few adjustments, and different line choices with the guys, and improved our qualifying. In the heat races, we didn't get good starts, which we knew we needed to improve for the main event, and both guys did that.”
Webb qualified third and finished fourth in his heat race, coming just shy of a top-three result. In the main event, however, he nailed the start and grabbed the holeshot. Ken Roczen moved past early, but Webb stayed within striking distance as the race evolved into a four-rider showdown. With roughly 14 minutes remaining, the intensity ramped up.
“In the main event, I got a good start and was behind Kenny (Roczen) for a bit,” Webb explained. “I made a mistake, and Hunter (Lawrence) got me. It was pretty much follow-the-leader, and we were waiting for a mistake. I ended up getting by Kenny, and by doing so, Eli (Tomac) got underneath me and put me off the track. So then I lost a position to him, and then to Kenny. That was a little bit of a bummer, just trying to get by him, and by the time I got around him, Hunter and Eli kind of had a gap on me. I put my head down, but just couldn’t make it happen. We’ll come back swinging next weekend and try to do some damage at Daytona.”
Webb’s fourth-consecutive podium scored valuable points in the 450SX Championship, putting him 16 points from the leader and third in the standings as the series moves closer to its midpoint.
On the other side of the tent, Justin Cooper continued to show progress despite a challenging start to the weekend. The New Yorker qualified sixth and finished there in his heat race. In the main event, he started 10th but quickly worked his way forward to fifth by Lap 2, holding the position to the checkered flag.
“I struggled all day, but put together a good result in the main,” Cooper said. “I was kind of right behind the top four. I was a few seconds behind them, and it was good to see the leaders the whole race, but I just couldn't get in that battle. I just needed a little bit more speed tonight. Otherwise, I rode really well, and I limited my mistakes. I feel like it was a good night, and we'll move on to Daytona.”
“Overall, it was a good day,” Simmons added. “Coop had a hard-fought race; just a few mistakes kind of cost him a win, or at least a second place tonight. Justin had a good recovery, finishing fifth after a tough heat race. He’s improving and being more consistent on his starts, as is Webb, and that's the name of the game right now – a good start. Obviously, we want to get the win and both guys on the podium, but we’re making progress. We’ll take that and keep moving forward.”
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing now turns its focus to one of the sport’s most iconic stops—Daytona Supercross. Round 8 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the Monster Energy SMX World Championship takes place next weekend at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, on February 28.