Double Podium for Cooper Webb and Justin Cooper in Cleveland
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb earns a second consecutive runner-up finish, with Justin Cooper joining him on the podium in third / Apr 23, 2026 /
Supercross returned to Cleveland, Ohio, for the first time in over three decades, and it was a night to remember for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing. After sweeping the podium in the 250SX East Championship, Cooper Webb and Justin Cooper brought home a double podium for the team in the premier class.
It was a wild Monster Energy AMA Supercross Triple Crown event and another early schedule for Round 14 of the 450SX Championship at Huntington Bank Field. The threat of bad weather loomed ahead. Although it was not as bad as forecasted, the on-and-off rain showers took their toll on the track.
From the start of the day, Webb showed intensity, throwing down consistently fast laps in qualifying and coming just shy of the top spot. But when the gate dropped for the first main event, a poor start put him eighth early. He charged forward to sixth by Lap 2 and continued to push, making the pass on Jorge Prado just before the halfway mark to finish fifth.
In the second main event, Webb got a better start. In fifth, he passed both Ken Roczen and Malcolm Stewart in succession to claim third on the second lap. Locked in a battle for the podium, Roczen made his way back through before the halfway mark, and Webb ultimately finished fourth. In the final main event, the reigning 450SX champ got a great start in the runner-up spot. From there, Webb managed his race, running a strong pace in the tricky conditions to finish second and secure second overall.
“It was our first time here in Cleveland, and it was a great day,” said Webb. “Qualifying was really good for me, first and second in both of those sessions. Then it started to rain, which was a bummer cause I was really jelling with the track. The first main event, I didn't ride very well. I got really bad arm pump, struggled with that right off the rip, and just coasted it in fifth. I rode much better in the last two. Kenny (Roczen) was on another level that last main, but a solid P2, and the math ended up mathing for me and I got a second overall. We thought it was going to be a mudder today. It was definitely wet, but it was nice that it was not full-blown crazy and barely surviving. Back-to-back podiums – we’ll take it and get home to the girls.”
Justin Cooper had another great night. He got a good start to the first main event, slotting into the runner-up spot. After getting passed by Roczen on the second lap, he continued to run a strong pace to finish third comfortably. The New Yorker then executed a great race in the second main event – grabbing the holeshot, setting the pace, and leading wire-to-wire for the win. A late-race moment kept things interesting, but Cooper held on to put himself in contention for the overall, tied on points with Roczen heading into the final race.
As conditions worsened, Cooper didn’t get the start he was hoping for in the final main but still found himself inside the top five early. Running fourth, a crash at the halfway mark dropped him to ninth. Undeterred, he regrouped and charged back to seventh, securing third overall and his third podium of the season.
“It was an awesome day,” said Cooper. “I had a good flow all day. I got off to a good start in race one and came away with third. The second one was awesome. I got the holeshot and was able to ride my own race and win that one. Then the third one, I spun off the gate, so I put myself behind right away. I was in fourth, and then I had a big crash, trying to get a position or two. I hit a soft spot in the face and went for a ride. I’m just thankful to get up from that one.
“From there, I just tried to get as many spots back as I could. The track was a little bit torn up by that point, and I wasn’t feeling the greatest from the crash, but I got a few guys back, and that was good enough for third overall. All in all, I think the best we were going to do tonight was second. Kenny (Roczen) was on rails in the last one. I tried to get up there, but had that crash, and that was all she wrote. On to next weekend.”
It’s three more rounds to go in the 450SX Championship, with Webb heading to next weekend’s Philadelphia Supercross third in the standings and trailing the leader by 22 points.
“It was a good day here in Cleveland,” said Rich Simmons, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 450 Team Manager. “I thought qualifying went really well. Webb had two good sessions, and Justin was a little bit off, but made a few adjustments for him, and he came around in the second session. Then the weather came in, changed the track quite a bit, but both guys rode well. The first race wasn’t so good for Webb, but I feel like in the last two, he put himself in a good spot. It was a great one for Justin. He rode amazing in the second one, and it was a good recovery after that crash in the last one. It was a tough day here with the weather and bike setup. So a big shout-out to the team. They did a great job. We're not out of this thing yet. We're 22 points down with three rounds to go. We’ll just keep plugging away.”