Cooper Webb

Cooper Webb Championship Tough!

Cooper Webb’s calling card is mental toughness. He willed himself to a third Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. But when the AMA handed over the #1 plate, that mental toughness finally broke. Literally. He was in tears, and the world saw something else. Pushing so hard takes its toll, even on someone as tough as Coop. For five months, he made it look like he had it under control. He showed no signs of weakness. It was just standard game-time Cooper Webb.

That's not nearly as easy as he makes it appear. Winning any title, but especially this one, his third, is not easy. This was the hardest thing he's ever done. What was running through his mind after winning? Not joy. Not quite yet. Right now, he could only just exhale. 

“A lot of relief, man,” he said. “You know, it's a lot of work that goes on, a lot of passion, a lot of just everything, so just a sigh of relief. Like I said on the podium. I had a lot of 3 a.m. nights thinking about how I can win this damn thing again, and here we are.”

It took everything Webb had to get this third title. Everything. Physically and mentally. As the season wore on, Webb distanced himself from the cliche talk that doubters give him motivation. If anything, he started to lean in the same direction. He started admitting maybe he wasn’t the physical specimen or talent of a guy like Chase Sexton, Jett Lawrence of Eli Tomac. 

"You know, I don't have the physical gifts, I'm fat at times, dad bod, you know," he said in a recent video feature. "I've always been strong in the head and I've able to suffer like no other. It's something I want so badly."

He has to do it a different way, and that was is the hard way. As the season evolved, it only got tougher.

“You gotta stay in it, you gotta stay present, you gotta stay focused, you gotta apply yourself every weekend, especially against Chase [Sexton],” Webb said. “I think he really turned it on there at the end. I had a great season, but when he was on, it's hard, and in these last few, you have a lot on the line. You gotta be good, but you don't want to put yourself in a vulnerable spot. So, I think for me it was something where you push hard, but you're also wise. So it's been stressful. It's never easy. It's never the funnest of times, these closing stages, but it feels great when you get to this point.”

Webb also revealed the extent of an off-season injury he had kept mostly quiet throughout the season. The thumb injury that required surgery last summer flared back up after an off-season crash. He was racing in pain all season.

“I know it's frustrating to say, but I was in pain for nine months with my thumb,” he explained. “You know, it just never healed and never got better. I crashed and rehurt it and it makes it tough. That's the bottom line and it's easy to roll over. You know, I've won two. I've made a lot of money [already]. I do this because I absolutely love it and this is what I chase. When we have these boot camps and we do all these things, you're giving it your absolute all, from diet to sleep. I haven’t had a sip of alcohol in a year. Just things like that that you give up to chase your dreams.

“I went all in this year," he added. "I think like Rich [Simmons, team manager] said in his interview, we sat down for coffee. He told me I was fat and I need to get my shit together and I said, 'You're right.' I made it a priority. I put my head forward. I woke up every day, grinded. I’ve got to give it up to my team, you know, everyone says it, but they truly push me to be the best version of myself every day. My teammates, my training partners, you know, J-Coop [Justin Cooper] has been very underestimated as a training partner and teammate, and he pushes me every day. We go all in every day and that's what Star expects from you and I love it and that's what put me in this position. It's not fun and picture perfect every day, but this moment right here makes it worth it."

To get this title, Webb had to block out the negative. He even had to block out his own doubts.

“I alluded to it in December,” he said. “It was rough. I was sitting there with an injury and was running on the beach with my agent right there and we were having a chat. Do you race or do you not race? I said, 'Eff it, let’s race. If it don't work, we'll get surgery and call it.' You know,  stuff like that, I didn't think about it an hour ago, but when I'm sitting here in this chair going like, 'Man, there's so many things that have to go right.' And we did it. We're a three-time champ. Let's go.”

Webb’s four-season gap between his second and third championships is the longest ever between a second and third title. That time, filled with frustration, gave him a perspective he didn’t have in 2019 and 2021. It seemed simpler and, perhaps, easier back then.

“The biggest thing is time gap, right?” he said. “In '19 and '21, it was almost like you're programmed. I'm just at Aldon's [Baker] and we're grinding and was great, the competition was super stiff but things were coming at me just almost too good sometimes, right? You take a win for granted because we were clicking so much. That’s what really makes this one stand out, the time gap, the injuries. Also, the 2022 season, that was ridiculously bad. To fight through all that to come close in ‘23, to come close last year, to do it at 29 years old, to do it three time is like it's a dream. Honestly, that's the easiest way to say it.”

Is he going to be able to ramp it up again next year?

“Hopefully I can keep it going, but at 29, you never know, right?” he says. “These kids are fast, so I'm gonna keep doing my thing. I'm gonna put myself in these situations every year. I know I'm a gamer and I can do it, so I'm going to go as long as I can, but to get this third one means the world and especially now as a dad and as a father and on another team, you know, I think that's huge for me. These are the guys that gave me my first ever shot as a pro and to repay Bobby Regan and Brad [Hoffman] and these guys with 450 championship means a lot.”

That’s the last piece. He finally got back on top after four years of chasing it, but now he gets to do it with his old team, the one that grabbed him as an amateur when he didn’t have options. His previous two titles came with Red Bull KTM. Previous to that came two failed 450 seasons with the old Monster Energy Yamaha factory team, that later yielded the 450 program over to Star Racing.

“I'm glad I could give it back to Yamaha because they wasted a lot of money on me early in my 450 career!” he said. “It feels good to be able to switch to the team that I always envisioned myself on eventually, you know, when they got to the 450 level. We’re the winner of the biggest championship you can get. The last time with Yamaha [2017-2018] was not great for any of us, so to do it with Star, to do it with Yamaha, to repay them those favors, I needed to deliver. I had great times with KTM and those boys and we did a lot of great things, but these guys are like my family. We're all on the same page. Then know when to push me and when not to. I can really be myself and say what I want and they're going to fight right back and put me in my place! Bobby Reagan [Star team owner] I say he’s like my grandpa. So super, super special.”

Powerline Park GNCC

Mud Lovers ideal

Waiting for One Domino to Fall

450 Silly Season

Tomac testing another brand? KTM? Ducati?

With Eli Tomac not going back to Star Racing Yamaha by all account in 2026 but still wanting to race, Michael Lindsay of Vital MX said last week that Tomac was getting ready to test the KTM with the brand interested in Eli if Sexton chooses to sign with Kawasaki as is heavily rumoured.

Sexton may make his decison in the next couple of weeks between KTM and Kawasaki, and logically, KTM need a plan B, so, who better than Eli Tomac to vault them straight back into title contention? Aaron Plessinger has re-signed and Tom Vialle, after winning his second East coast title, has now been bumped up to the 450 class after that title defense for 2026. If Sexton stays or Tomac signs it will be a three man Red Bull KTM 450 team!

But Ducati are also interested in Tomac and Lewis Phillips tweeted that he heard Tomac was testing something “interesting” on Monday. KTM? Ducati? or maybe another brand? No doubt we will find out soon! But where Sexton and perhaps consequently Tomac end up in 2026, are the big stories to follow over the next couple of weeks while we wait for outdoors to begin.

Once Sexton makes his decision, Tomac’s path may become more obvious.

Deegan!

With the Championship wrapped up last week, it was time to enjoy the number one plate this weekend in Utah– proving that he's the FASTEST guy on a 250, Haiden Deegan pushed in both motos to secure the final victory in the 2025 Supercross season. Now it's back to the farm to train for the upcoming outdoor season!

Vialle to 450 in 2026

250SX defense triggers early 450 transition for Vialle

Dual 250SX class champion to move to premier class for 2026 Supercross.

Image: Octopi Media.

Winning back-to-back 250SX East championships will trigger an early 450 transition for Tom Vialle in 2026, the Red Bull KTM rider no longer eligible to compete in the quarter-liter division of Monster Energy Supercross as a repeat title-winner.

In just his third year in the United States, Vialle has amassed two 250SX crowns, which implements the category ruling of a rider having to move up into the premier class after having captured two championships.

Already a double MX2 world champion, while 24-year-old Vialle will complete 2025 onboard the 250 SX-F in Pro Motocross and the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) post-season, he had intended to step up to 450MX next year regardless. Now, that transfer will be forwarded to Anaheim 1, but a deal with KTM is yet to be formalized.

“I’m really excited, actually, and I think the plan was to move up to the 450 next year anyway for outdoors,” commented Vialle after successfully defending his 250SX crown in Salt Lake. “It depended on this championship on whether I would stay on the 250 for Supercross or not [next year], but now I have to [go up].

“This provides me [with] a new challenge in my career, as I’ve been in the 250 class since 2019, which is five or six years already. I did some riding already on the 450 during our outdoor preparation, and I’ll work pretty hard during the winter to get on the 450 [for next year] – it’s something that I am excited about.”

Given his longstanding relationship with the Austrian manufacturer dating back to his title years in Europe, Vialle has expressed that he would like to remain with KTM, but has suggested that a contract was ‘not done yet’. Red Bull KTM has already re-signed Aaron Plessinger, with Chase Sexton’s future remaining up in the air amid ongoing links to both KTM and Kawasaki for 2026.

What led to RJ Hampshire’s all-in contact on Seth Hammaker

Veteran racer needed to put points between himself and 250SX East title rivals.

We’ve seen no shortage of championship moves over the last two weekends, with each having yielded different results and consequences. For RJ Hampshire on Saturday night, a straight-up pass on Seth Hammaker wasn’t going to be enough to earn him the 250SX East title, with contact seemingly the only viable option. And that’s the shot he – unsuccessfully – took.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing mainstay Hampshire entered the final round three markers behind Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Hammaker and six behind points leader Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), as the culmination of the eastern regional title chase came down to the Salt Lake City main event.

The Showdown inside Rice-Eccles Stadium was intense, to say the least. Initially, it was Vialle who looked to have the title in reach, before both Hammaker and Hampshire made the move past the Frenchman, and with two minutes left on the clock, had put seven seconds between them and the defending champion.

It was at this moment that Hampshire would strike after being forced to work his way through the pack courtesy of an LCQ appearance, making a desperate pass that left both he and Hammaker on the ground, with Vialle breezing by and claiming what had looked like an unlikely championship up until that point.

 

Image: Octopi Media.

So the question is, what led to such a move? Well, 29-year-old Hampshire needed more points than what simply beating Hammaker by one place would’ve given him. The differential between second and third is two points, meaning he needed at least one more rider to get between him and the number 56.

You could rule out Hampshire making any kind of inroads on the first-placed Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – he was in a different zip code out front. So, Hampshire would’ve needed Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) to go by Hammaker, although for Vialle to not make the move on Seth, because that would mean that Vialle’s fourth place would have been enough if Hampshire finished second.

It’s a very complex situation, and whether Hampshire had any idea of the lay of the land is up for debate, but chances are that he was somewhat aware in the moment, especially judging by his comments after the fact. That was the rationale behind such a pass, and if a title is on the line, you’ve kind of got to take it, right? Especially considering it was his final start in the 250 tier.

We saw Deegan strike on Cole Davies (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) one week earlier, and he walked away with a number one plate. On the other hand, we saw Chase Sexton (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) arguably play pretty nicely with Cooper Webb (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing), and that led to the latter comfortably walking away with the title.

It’s a tough one. Add in the fan reaction after such a move – Deegan comes to mind, along with the hate Hampshire wore after the weekend’s clash – and one can wonder whether it is worth it, however, when a championship and a considerable bonus understood to be in the region of $500k is on the line, sometimes you’ve got to go all in.

 

“Today was a very eventful day,” reflected Hampshire. “I felt good on the bike, then the heat race didn’t go so well after having a big one that sent me to my first LCQ in a couple of years. That’s always stressful, so then the outside gate pick for the main gave me an average start, but I put my head down and charged.

“I had a chance for the championship at the end there, and I went for it, which didn’t go in my favor, and it’s unfortunate to take us both down. Overall, I did everything I could, I tried, and we’ll leave here and move on – I’m looking forward to this next chapter of my career.”

Try he did. And, although it was a wild ending, can he be blamed for it? Honestly, not really. I think that sometimes it depends on who a rider takes down, and adding fire to both Deegan and Hampshire’s moves was the fact that they took both Davies and Hammaker down, who are both universally liked at this point in their careers. There’s the legendary Pro Circuit team factor at play, too.

“A few years ago I almost believed I’d never have a shot at winning a championship,” 2024 250SX West winner Hampshire later explained further on social media. “Last year I proved I could and last night had another shot at one. I fought so dang hard all season just to have that opportunity. A decision I wish I didn’t have to make, which was obviously devastating for Seth and myself.

“I have massive respect for Mitch [Payton] and his whole team, which made the situation even worse. To my team and all the people that invested in me, thank you! Disappointed I couldn’t deliver last night, but the sun still shined this morning and I’ll be ready for the next chapter. I will continue to always give my best and grow from this! Looking forward to an awesome summer.”

As for Hammaker, 24, he was obviously dejected, and the feelings are raw in the moments after losing out on a dream you’ve had since you were young. Nevertheless, he handled himself with class, acknowledging the on-track action, while also remaining upbeat on the improvements made throughout the season.

“It was a great season, but obviously a bummer when you come so close like that,” he commented. “That was a crazy race, a lot of chaos… RJ came in hot in the last corner there and took us both down, which then I remounted and tried to go after Tom, although second place is going to have to do this season.”

There isn’t a lot more to say on the matter, at the end of the day, this is sport and racing. Especially when titles are on the line, history tells that you’ve got to do all that you can, and those big moves in the moment can really work at times, as shown by Deegan, and perhaps not by Sexton, who opted to keep it clean.

As it relates to Hampshire, he went for it and needed the cookie to crumble a particular way for things to go in his favor. Ultimately, it didn’t, and the crafty, calculated repeat eastern division champion Vialle kept things quiet, but straight – as he has done for most of this season. And in the end, he winds up with a very well-earned second-career AMA Supercross crown.

Sidelines: Pro Motocross season preview

By Isabella Gaglione, Editor-in-Chief

Jett Lawrence and Eli Tomac plan to return to the sport for Pro Motocross later this month. (Photo courtesy of motocross.com)

With one more round of Monster Energy AMA Supercross to go, professional off-road motorcycle racing fans will be looking ahead to this summer’s Pro Motocross Championship, kickstarting in California later this month.

If this year’s supercross is any indication, the 450 class will be one to watch.

Cooper Webb and Chase Sexton are neck-and-neck in the indoor season and will continue to be top contenders for the outdoor title. Webb, the current red plate holder, is one of the toughest guys on track and knows that winning the most races doesn’t earn you the top spot. Sexton’s desire to be the top young gun in the sport is sure to carry over to Pro Motocross.

Fan favorites Eli Tomac and Jett Lawrence were sidelined this supercross season with injuries, and both will be entering AMA Motocross with something to prove. With the third-most premier division Pro Motocross wins to his name, Tomac’s long career may be coming to an end with this outdoor season. He has the skillset to pull off the last win fans have been itching to see, but only time will tell if he has the stamina.

On the younger side, Lawrence has proven since coming to the United States that his skills and speed are unmatched. Watching Lawrence — the “Justin Bieber of motocross,” who became the first motocross player to go to the Met Gala this year — got me into professional motocross, and it feels wrong to root against the two-time SuperMotocross world champ, but he’ll be joined by many powerful riders who have spent the time he’s been injured getting stronger.

Justin Cooper, Aaron Plessinger, Jason Anderson and Hunter Lawrence all have chips on their shoulders and goals of getting to the top. I’m hoping Malcolm Stewart gets a few podium finishes along the way.

The 250 class is shaping up to be a little less interesting.

Haiden Deegan — son of motosports legend Brian Deegan and brother of professional NASCAR driver Hailie Deegan — seems nearly unstoppable, having clinched last year’s 250SX Motocross championship. Last week, Deegan ran away with the 250SX West title by 25 points, and he currently stands at 36 points ahead of 250SX East frontrunner Tom Vialle.

Cole Davies — Deegan’s teammate, who he took out last week in a move that sent Davies into the berm — is being talked about as the next Jett Lawrence, but we’ll have to see if that can carry over to outdoors. Jet ski world champion Julien Beaumer is another name on Deegan’s hitlist and is vying to conquer a new sport with a score to settle.

Personally, I’ll always be rooting for consistent riders, and Jo Shimoda has a record of staying on course. Hopefully, this will lead him to a podium finish this year, as he accomplished in 2023.

Zach Osborne Announced as Moto Brand Ambassador for Beta USA

Beta USA is proud to welcome Zach Osborne as the company’s newest Brand Ambassador. In his new role, Osborne will contribute to the brand’s growth by assisting with bike testing, working closely with Beta’s riders, and attending select events across the country to promote the Beta name.

Osborne brings a wealth of experience to the team. A household name in the racing world, his professional career spans over 16 years and includes four major U.S. championships. He was crowned the AMA Pro Motocross 450 Class Champion in 2020 and claimed both the 250SX East and 250MX Championships in 2017. His career highlights also include 20 AMA Pro Motocross 250 Class podiums, 7 wins in the 250 class, and 4 victories in the 450 class. Following his Supercross and Motocross retirement, Osborne returned to full-time racing in 2022 in the off-road world as well in GNCC competition.

“I’m honored to be a part of the Beta family. They are carving out a neat spot as a brand in our sport, and I’m excited for their future. I hope I can add momentum to the great work they are already doing and have some fun along the way,”