Page 70 - Issue43

COOPER WEBB
450 SX / 14TH
IMAGE / LANGSTON WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / WILSON
>> At this point in the series, many are beginning to become littered with injuries. Both ortho- pedic, and sicknesses alike, a period of detoriation of both bone health and immune system take a serious tole on these riders, as they’ve been working round the clock since last Oc- tober. There’s no off-season, and with it being an individualistic society, you absolutely have to push the brink of both mental and physical capacity. Cooper Webb knows this all too well as he’s been left in shambles from both overtraining and injuries from catastrophic crashes throughout his career. Doctor’s bills, shots, and casts have all taken their toll on his body throughout his tenure in the sport, however he’s pushed on because he realizes through the hottest fire comes the strongest steel. He knew this stadium floor wouldn’t be forgiving, and with the notorious rutty composition of the past, a mistake here could be handed to him very easily, and any miscalculation of throttle or gear switch, could result in a crash to mother earth; so his focus was imminent. After going through practice and nailing the step on-step off sections with utter precision (although one small hiccup), he would push through the night show with a tough, but hard fought effort, and secure his spot in the final 22, which is what his sponsors truly wanted to see. This is when the seats are filled, people stopping their runs to the concession stand, and their ticket is put to use; this is what it all boils down too. And as the gate fell, you could tell just how much effort he was putting down, as he held the throttle on for so long going into turn number one, but was pushed a little bit wider than hoped, and jammed just a tad, giving the leaders enough to pull ahead. A good start would be trenched with a tip over on lap two prior to the SX triple, and he would be forced to dig far and wide in order to gain momentum. And we all know, if you aren’t reading the cusp of jersey lettering from the leaders at the drop of the green flag, the amount of competition can really have you chasing your tail the entire moto. He wouldn’t give up, his pitboard reading “You Can”, and the thoughts of all those laps at the test track, and the miles logged on the road bike replay- ing on a looped recording throughout his brain; he couldn’t get up. So he fought, and for every corner he was run wide, he would return the favor in the next; giving the fans all they wanted, and somehow managing to hold his position throughout the event. 5 minutes in, 10, and now 15, he was dodging bullets; all the while the leaders were making their way through the field. Latching on to anyone that passed him, he made a resurgence just at the final lap board coming out, and making moves all the way up until the final rhythm sections; his end result was a 14th, knowing he had work to do as the series would head west.
70 GRITMOTO • APRIL 2, 2017