Justin Cooper Scores Runner-Up Finish in St. Louis
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper earns a runner-up finish while Webb continues to chip away in the 450SX title fight / Apr 6, 2026 /
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper has been steadily building, working his way to the top in the premier class of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. On Saturday night in St. Louis, the New Yorker put in a great ride in challenging conditions at The Dome at America’s Center to earn season-best results.
At the previous round in Detroit, after three consecutive fourth-place finishes, Cooper made it clear that starts would be key – and he delivered. He qualified fourth, grabbed the holeshot in his heat race, and rode a flawless race to secure his first heat race win of the season.
In the main event, Cooper got another good start and battled with championship contenders, passing Hunter Lawrence on Lap 5. After the halfway mark, he made the pass on Jorge Prado to move into second. With the leader too far ahead to challenge, Cooper built a comfortable gap to secure the runner-up finish, matching his best result in the 450SX class.
“It was a good day, even though it started out not the best,” said Cooper. “This track is really tough, so we had tricky conditions all day. I felt better and better each time out on the track, and started with a pretty big change in the heat race. I got the holeshot and was able to run my laps clean, and felt really good and took that to the main. I think we started about sixth, so not as good as the heat, but I was able to make some good passes and get up to second. By the time I got there, Ken (Roczen) was way gone, and the track was pretty bad. With each lap that went by, we just had to hit our marks – doing the rhythms and really focusing, and that was key. I felt really good on the bike. I feel like my riding has been good lately, so we will keep this going.”
It was also a good ride from Cooper Webb in the tricky conditions, but still frustrating for the three-time 450SX Champion. After qualifying sixth, he had a good start to his heat race and finished second, securing a 1-2 finish for the team. In the main event, he found himself back in 12th after the start but quickly worked his way forward to ninth on the opening lap. Webb continued to push and, by the halfway mark, had broken into the top five, where he would finish to gain another point in the 450SX championship chase.
“St. Louis, overall, it was a decent day across the board,” said Webb. “I qualified sixth, got second in the heat race, and set myself up to do well in the main. My starts have been really good, but they weren't for the main event, so that stunk. I made a lot of mistakes the first few laps trying to get by some guys, but then I definitely rode well, got my flow going, and made some passes. I felt like I was catching the lead group in front of me. I just started way too far behind, honestly, which was a bit of a bummer. I feel like we've been working hard during the week, and the results haven't shown. So that's pretty frustrating, but we'll keep our heads up and keep plugging away.”
With five rounds remaining, Webb sits 25 points behind the leader in one of the most tightly contested 450SX title fights in recent memory.
“It was a pretty good day,” said Rich Simmons, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 450 Team Manager. “The track was really rutted all day, so we were trying to anticipate that for the main event. It was a great heat race – 1-2 for the team. Justin executed well in the main, rode consistently, and pushed his way forward. We're really proud of him and looking to take that next step to the top of the box. Webb, I think he salvaged a good night. I know it's not where he wants to be, and it's not where we know he can be, but we’ll just keep going and keep fighting in this championship.”
Next up, the series returns to Nashville, Tennessee, for Round 13 of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the Monster Energy SMX World Championship at Nissan Stadium on April 11.