Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 450 Team Starts Strong at Supercross Opener
/ Jan 12, 2025 /
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb and Eli Tomac score top-five finishes, while Justin Cooper captures seventh at Anaheim 1
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb and Eli Tomac finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 450SX Main Event on a wild night of racing at the Monster Energy AMA Supercross season opener in Anaheim, California. Justin Cooper joined them in the top 10, finishing seventh as the 2025 SuperMotocross World Championship got underway in front of a packed house for Anaheim 1 Supercross at Angel Stadium.
Webb continued to make progress throughout the day, qualifying eighth and finishing fourth in his heat race. In ninth after the start of the main event, the North Carolina rider once again showed grit and determination, fighting his way to fourth before the halfway mark. Webb kept pushing throughout the race and had the final podium position within sight. Although he finished just shy of the podium in fourth, he scored valuable points at the first round of the 17-round 450SX title fight.
Tomac started the season opener strong, topping both qualifying sessions to earn the fastest qualifier honors in the 450 class. Although he didn’t get the start he was looking for in his heat race, he showed speed and fought his way from 10th to a fifth-place finish. In the main event, he got a much better start and quickly claimed the lead, but unfortunately lost the front on the opening lap and rejoined towards the back. Tomac quickly went to work and made his way through the field, ultimately making a pass for fifth on the final lap.
Cooper qualified 12th in the tricky conditions and showed strength in the night show with two great starts. The New Yorker led the opening lap of his heat race and ultimately finished third. In the main event, he got another great start but unfortunately, was shuffled back to fifth early and then to 10th before the halfway point as riders jockeyed for position. Undeterred, Cooper continued to fight and made his way back to seventh for a strong beginning to his sophomore season in the premier class.
Next on the schedule for the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing squad is Round 2 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the SuperMotocross World Championship Series at the Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California, on January 18.
Rich Simmons – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team Manager
“The weekend went well overall. Eli was strong all day and unfortunately went down while leading the race, but put in a strong ride to come back to fifth. Webb got better as the day went on, just missing the podium, but he showed his late-race speed and grit in the main. Justin put himself in a great position with good starts and learned a lot about racing up front. It was a great team effort, and we’re looking forward to San Diego.”
Cooper Webb – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #2
“Anaheim 1 is always a crazy race. It was an up-and-down day and an up-and-down off-season, but I’m happy. That was a good race. Obviously, being in the top five is important, but I wanted to be on the podium and felt like I was riding good enough to be up front. We need to get our starts a little bit better and be in the mix for next week. It was definitely a good starting point. We’re right in the fight, which is great.”
Eli Tomac – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #3
“It was a night of a lot of emotions. We put ourselves in a great position there right at the start of the main event and made it to the lead off the triple. It was a pretty cool feeling, and then two turns later, I ended up washing the front. It’s a mistake that just happens, so it’s very frustrating to do that on the first lap because it usually puts you in last. I just had to recover, make my way forward, and make as many passes as I could. I was actually happy to get to fifth. That was important for us with the points, especially since we were nearly last at one point. Other than that, it was a very good day. I had a good qualifying and had good speed, so I’m excited to get the season going.”
Justin Cooper – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #32
“It was a good night. I had two good starts. In the heat race, I was able to lead for a lap and had a good finish there to set me up for a good gate pick in the main. Then I got another really good start but got shuffled back pretty quickly to fourth or fifth. I was in a pretty intense battle out there and kind of lost the flow. I had to be aggressive – attacking while being defensive with the guys behind me – which ended up costing me. So there was a little bit of a slump in the middle, but I was able to finish strong and come away with seventh. It was a good start to the season, and I’m looking to keep it going.”
2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross 450SX Anaheim 1 Results
2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross 450SX Championship Standings
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