Page 22 - Issue_66

COOPER WEBB
450 SX / 6TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> After a rough start to the season, Cooper Webb seems to be nding his groove during the past month. The rider from North Carolina struggled to even make the top ten at the rst three rounds but has now been knocking on the door of a top ve. He was steadily improving with continuous season best nishes until last weekend where he got knocked out of the race after getting tangled with Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen. That DNF had to re him up because he looked fast and strong all night and was more than likely going to nish with yet another season best. He would have to sit and wait all week before getting another chance at Arlington. He entered the round happy to be closer to the east coast where he seems to thrive.
Webb came out swinging in the qualifying practice sessions and showed out by setting the second fastest lap time of the class. He was hitting all his marks and seemed to have found a nice ow around the track. It was easy to tell that he was raring for some gate drops and high intensity racing in the night show.
Despite qualifying second and getting the rst gate pick for his heat race, Webb did not emerge from lap one of his heat until twelve other riders had gone by. He was buried all the way in thirteenth. He got to work right away and moved into eighth place by lap three, passing ve riders. The rest of the race would him and Marvin Musquin trading position. The two riders would pass each other back and forth and really have a nice battle all the way to the end but it would be Musquin that emerged victori- ous from their two-man battle. Webb would nish in eighth, not where he expected to be in his heat. Nonetheless, he transferred through to the main event and was ready to compete.
Webb got a much better start in the main than he did in the heat race. He came out in sixth place and looking for a battle. He got his battle but not in the way he’d like. He got passed by Cole Seely on lap two sending him back to seventh. He did not fret, and he got right back on Seely’s rear wheel. He stalked him and followed him through as they would pass both Peick and then Anderson, who had fallen down. This put Webb up into fth by lap ve and he continued to lay down the heat on Seely. Seely just would not budge but Webb would soon have bigger sh to fry. Anderson began applying the heat after remounting from his crash and soon was all over Webb. Webb did all he could to keep him at bay, but Anderson would squeeze by on lap thirteen. Webb kept Seely right in front of him all the way to the nish but never got close enough for a pass. He’d nish in sixth place which marks a season best. I am sure he wanted to notch that top ve but he will take that season best performance and carry it into next weekend in Tampa Bay where he will try and get another one.
22 GRITMOTO • FEBRUARY 18, 2018