It comes around every few years: one 250SX rider is so dominant that he’s the favorite regardless of which coast he enters. Cooper Webb has been so next level lately that it doesn’t really matter who he is racing or what time zone, dirt or building he’s doing it in or on. There are no other factors that matter. If it’s a 250SX race, he’s the favorite.
In the past, teams have purposely loaded up one side of the slate to get away from that type of juggernaut, which is part of the reason for the annual cat and mouse game where teams wait to declare coasts for their riders. This year, teams were more forthcoming. Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha straight up said Webb will be racing West, but that announcement didn’t impact other teams, because their hands were already forced through injuries.
Strong, healthy contenders like Joey Savatgy, Christian Craig, Zach Osborne and Jessy Nelson will be on the Anaheim gate alongside Webb. And they have to be. Savatgy has some Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki teammates on the mend in Tyler Bowers, Adam Cianciarulo and Arnaud Tonus; same for Nelson’s Troy Lee Designs KTM teammate Shane McElrath, and Osborne’s Rockstar Husqvarna sidekick Martin Davalos. Due to injuries to teammates, guys like Savatgy were going west regardless of where Webb was racing.
It will be a tall order to topple Webb, who won six of the last seven rounds in the West Region last year. One thing could help, though, and that’s the short 250SX season that exacerbates any type of problem a rider might have. Las Vegas is back to counting for points this year, so each 250SX chase is a race longer than in 2015. You’re looking at nine-race series for each, but that’s still pretty short.
We’ve come off of the 24 moto grind of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross, and we’re all thinking about the 17 race 450SX tour. Nine races is a lot less. Plus, 250SX kids are less experienced and usually less consistent than their 450 counterparts. It opens the door for more mistakes, and there’s not much time to make up for it.
Historically, a dominant 250SX rider can get away with one bad race and still win a title. Two bad races is typically too much to overcome in a short series. Eli Tomac was crushing the 250SX West Series in 2012 until he wadded it up in San Diego. Dean Wilson won the race, which set up a showdown through the final rounds between the two. Either could have won it, until their Seattle SX fisticuffs ended with Wilson on the ground with a shoulder injury. Tomac won the title, but regardless of Wilson’s misfortune, at least Tomac could still control his own destiny by winning races, despite the San Diego DNF.
The following year Tomac was dominant again until he crashed in Oakland, opening the door for Ken Roczen to get the points lead. Roczen had his own gaffe when he failed to qualify for Salt Lake City’s main, so once again Tomac controled his own destiny. Then he struggled through a disaster of a main event, bouncing all over in the whoops and finished sixth. Had he won the race, Tomac would have won the title despite the DNF in Oakland. One error isn’t enough to throw the title, but two is a death knell in a nine-race series.
That’s what Webb is up against. If he’s as dominant as everyone expects him to be, he can even jack up one race and still win the title. If he has two blunders, all bets are off.
While Cooper has proven pretty tough lately, remember last year he went over the bars in San Diego and barely escaped in race-ready condition, and he also hurt his ankle in practice in Las Vegas. These aren’t knocks on Cooper, they’re just the realities of racing supercross. He’s the favorite no matter who he races, but he’s up against the same potential hazards as everyone else, too.
