No Quit in Detroit: Justin Cooper and Cooper Webb Fight to the Finish
Late-season pressure builds in the 450SX title race as both Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing riders push through adversity at Round 11 / Mar 30, 2026 /
It was another night of intense racing in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross premier class at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, with a shake-up in the 450SX title fight as the championship continues to take shape. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper delivered another impressive charge through the field to finish fourth, while Cooper Webb fought back to sixth after an early-race crash.
Qualifying fifth, Cooper got a strong start in his heat race, battling up front and finishing third. In the main event, he didn’t get off the gate as he had hoped and found himself back in 14th on the opening lap. The New Yorker quickly went to work, breaking into the top five before the halfway mark. Cooper kept pushing and closed the gap to Eli Tomac, making the pass with around six laps to go. With too much time lost to advance further, Cooper rode on to secure his third consecutive fourth-place finish and his sixth top-five of the season, which has him maintaining a strong fifth in the championship standings.
“The race day went well,” said Cooper. “The only thing I can really think back on is the start in the Main. I wasn't ready for the gate drop, so I was a little off-balance and way back. I rode really well, and I came from 14th to 4th, but I needed the start tonight. I had really good speed in the beginning. I felt like, until halfway, I had a really good pace, and then it just caught up to me a little bit. I started slowing down and getting a little bit winded. I was able to catch Eli and pass him there, but yeah, fourth is what we had tonight. We needed to start up in at least the top five to finish better, but overall, the bike felt awesome all day, and I was just riding really well. We’ll take it to next weekend. I’ve got to get that start in the Main and get on the podium.”
For Webb, it was also a strong start to the day, with the reigning champion setting his sights on the win. He got a great start in his heat race, made the pass on his teammate on the opening lap, and held the runner-up spot to the checkered flag. In the main event, Webb quickly worked his way into third and looked poised to challenge for the lead. However, while attempting a pass on Jorge Prado, the pair made contact and went down. Webb remounted in 11th and charged forward, climbing back to sixth by the halfway mark, where he would finish.
“It was an okay day,” said Webb. “I qualified seventh overall, and then had a decent heat race. In the main event, that was just a really dumb move on my end. I thought I saw an opening and obviously didn't, and took myself and Prado both down, which was a bummer. I went and apologized to him. So, I’m really bummed about it because I rode so well in that main event. I felt like I had the speed to win tonight. We'll keep plugging away. It's been a tough year, but it is what it is, and you’ve got to move on.”
Although it was not the result he was looking for, his efforts scored valuable points to make some championship gains – an eight-point swing to move within 26 points of the leader with six rounds remaining.
“I think it was a pretty decent day overall,” said Rich Simmons, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 450 Team Manager. “Both guys had good qualifying sessions and strong heat races. In the main, Justin got a bad start, and Webb got a good start and put himself in a good position, but unfortunately went down trying to pass (Jorge) Prado early. It was a good recovery by him to come back to sixth, and Justin came from 14th to get Eli (Tomac) for fourth. We want to be on the podium and missed that opportunity tonight, but you can’t be upset when the guy’s going for a win. We’ll take the positives, move on to St. Louis, and look to get back on the podium.”
The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team now heads to St. Louis, Missouri, for Round 12 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the Monster Energy SMX World Championship at The Dome at America’s Center on April 4.