Cooper Webb has made the 250MX Championship in Lucas Oil Pro Motocross such a foregone conclusion that even his massive points lead (he’ll likely wrap up the title next week at Budds Creek) and 1-1 performance at Unadilla weren’t the main topics. For Webb, it’s already onwards and upwards, with a pending date as team captain for the U.S. Motocross of Nations effort, and a factory Yamaha 450 ride locked in. Even after he finally locks up the number-one plate, the Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha rider will have a busy schedule—and he likes it that way. He talked about it all in the post-race press conference.
Racer X: Great day today. Congratulations. Take us through moto one and moto two.
Cooper Webb: Moto one we obviously got the red flag which was a little different. I think I was third when the red flag came out. I actually improved my start on the second one. AC [Adam Cianciarulo] rode really well that first one. You could tell he was definitely going for it. I was kind of just settling into things. I kind of waited a little bit and then was able to get around him and do some laps to get a good gap over Joey [Savatgy]. Really just rode solid the rest of the race. I felt good, kind of saved a little bit of energy for the second moto. The second moto I got a third place start and was able to pass Joey pretty quickly. Austin [Forkner] was riding good once again. I saw him having a little bit of a moment and I knew with the track being rough and the conditions there was either going to maybe be some mistakes or just some fatigue starting to set in. So I just settled. Then once I saw about halfway I was able to lay down two laps to kind of get right on him and try to take advantage of a mistake. I was able to make a pass and unfortunately the red cross came out—it stinks. I hope Jessy’s [Nelson] all right. It’s kind of weird to have a race end that way. Obviously a 1-1 is awesome but I would love to have been able to [finish the moto]… I feel like I was just getting going. So to be able to take it to the end would have been for me I think a little better. But at the end of the day we went 1-1 and I can’t complain, especially after a long break. I’m stoked. I have a really big points lead now. Everything’s pretty badass.
A lot of guys were drained, especially that second moto. That doesn’t seem to affect you at all. Is that because you save energy? Do you ride more efficiently? Is that just pure fitness? What do you think the difference is? You didn’t seem to have any problems late in the races.
It’s definitely fitness, I think when it comes down to it. But at the same time I feel like I can dig maybe a little deeper than some of the guys. I feel like my riding style I don’t waste a lot of energy. When I need to I can. Today was tough because to go fast you had to stand a lot. It was kind of being smooth but not too smooth to where everybody’s kind of pulling away. So it was tough. You couldn’t just go out there and ride as hard as you could or you would probably crash, with the track being gnarly like that. I’d say this was the toughest national so far with the heat and the track conditions and everything like that. I just think I’m in really good shape. I think Swanny’s [trainer, Gareth Swanepoel] treating us well.
So, fitness wise, are you one of those guys like on the bicycle you’re an animal, in the gym you’re an animal, or does it just seem like on the motorcycle is where you really excel? Are you destroying these guys at all the training things or is it just on the motorcycle that you have that extra?
Like Kenny Powers says, I’m not trying to be the best at exercising. I just want to be the best at race sports. [Laughs]
Can you tell me about Motocross des Nations? You’re not only on the team but now you’re like the veteran captain. That’s pretty crazy since you’re just getting started really with your pro career still.
I got called originally to do MX3 [on a 450]. At first I really wanted to do 250s because I just feel really comfortable and strong but at the same time it’s a team event so you got to put your team first. It’s not all about yourself. And then Eli [Tomac] actually pulled out and I got the call from Roger [DeCoster] Thursday night. He was like, “We’re going to get Jason [Anderson] and what do you want to do?” I said, “I want to be captain. I want to be MX1.” I feel like I deserve it. I really just want to go out and try to get some redemption maybe from last year and race against the best of the best. I’ve been riding my 450 a lot during the week and stuff so I feel really good on it. The bike’s come a long way. I’m excited. I think it gives me a huge new motivation, and at the end of the year it’s really hard to find that. So I’m looking forward to it. if everything goes to plan hopefully I can wrap it up early and get on the 450 and go race Charlotte GP and go from there. I‘m stoked. I think a lot of people, same as last year, a lot of people think that if we get on the podium it’ll be good but I really think we have a really good chance to win it. I don’t see why we can’t go there and win no problem.
You kind of just answered both my questions. When are you going to start riding the 450 and are you going to ride MXGP at Charlotte.
Yeah, I’m going to race actually a 250 at Charlotte just because I’ll only have maybe a week or two on the bike. My original plan all year was to race Charlotte. That’s a home race for me, so I’m going to go there and that’ll be my last race on a 250. Then be on the 450 from there. Looking forward to that race obviously and then des Nations and switching over to full-time 450. It’s a dream come true so I want to make it worthwhile.
We’re now four in a row without winning the des Nations. What’s it going to take for us to win?
I think we have the best team. Like I said, we’re hungry. When it comes down to it, if you’ve got three guys that want to win it’s hard to lose, the way I look at it. We’re all in shape. We’re all grinders. We all do what we need to do. So I think that will be the biggest thing. Obviously you’ve got to have the lap times and you’ve got to be consistent. Last year we were as solid as we could be. We had three guys that wanted to win and wanted to do it. It’s tough when you have a guy that doesn’t really want to do it. it’s unfortunate but I understand that there’s supercross and motocross and that is what we get paid to do. But Motocross des Nations is just a dream race. When you’re a kid that’s the one you always wanted to be on and win and represent your country. I understand where those guys [that aren’t racing it] are coming from, but at the same time I think you have the whole country behind you. For me it’s a pride thing. I don’t want to go there and get beat by the Euros. I want to show them that our country’s best.
This year we have two guys–well, I guess Alex went for Team Puerto Rico before–but Jason hasn’t been. If they asked you what to expect when you get there, in their first time for Team USA, what would you tell them?
I would just say it’s a team race. I think that’s the biggest thing. Every race we ever do is all for yourself and then all of a sudden if you’re the fastest guy it doesn’t matter because if your teammates are a little off or whatever the case may be, you still won’t win. I think obviously Jason is plenty fast enough. He’s plenty in shape. I would just say for him to go out there and try to relax. I think that’s the biggest thing with the crowd. The European fans are just something else. You can hear them every single corner. There’s a lot of pressure, not only for yourself but for your country. You’ve got everybody in America that is into motocross watching you. They’re all wanting you to go win. So it’s a tough race. I think it’s one of the most high-pressure races and I think that’s why I love it because you’ve got to perform.
The last time we had a guy move up from the 250 class to the MX1 division was Ryan Dungey in 2009, and the team won.
It’s funny, we were talking about it today. They call that the B team and I think you saw what happened [Team USA won the event].
You’ve raced Australia and you’ve raced Lille and des Nations last year and you’re going to do it again this year. I know you don’t race the seventeen 450 races yet, but has it bothered you at all yet, all these off-season races that you do? Has that caught up to you, do you think at all?
No, I don’t think so. This year I only did half of supercross, so I am committed to do Australia again and des Nations. But I think it’ll work out actually really well. I’ll be able to get some 450 testing in for des Nations and be able to hop on a supercross track. I’m going to take a little bit of time off after des Nations and then race Monster Cup and then take a little bit of time off and have a solid two months to come in. It’s 17 races so it’s a long series and our plan is to come in as ready as we can but if we’re not 100 percent we’re not going to worry about it. I want to build as the season goes on. I don’t want to be peak at A1. So I think it’ll work out good. At the end of the day it’s all awesome opportunities that I have. Some of the best times I’ve had in my life have been in Europe or Australia and des Nations last year. Even though we lost it’s my favorite race I’ve ever done. There’s more to it, I get that. I know maybe when I get older I might get burnt out. As long as I’m having fun I’m going to keep doing it and have a good group of people around me. I have nothing to complain about. I’d rather be racing my dirt bike than working construction.
You’re moving to factory Yamaha next year, but are you bringing some of your team along with you? Are you bringing your mechanic? Are you still going to work with Swanny? How is that all meshing together?
It should work out actually awesome. Bringing Eric [Gass] with me, he’ll be my race mechanic. The same guys over at Yamaha, Goose [Mike Gosselaar], Shane [Drew], Jimmy Perry all those guys, they’re over there and I worked with those guys last year when I was racing the 450 a lot. Obviously Chad [Reed] has his group of guys there. I think it’s going to be an easy transition for me. It’s guys I’ve been dealing with. Obviously a little bit of sponsor changes, but it’s a bike that I’m comfortable with. From what I’ve heard it’s come a long, long ways even since the last year. I think it’ll be awesome. I couldn’t ask for a better transition and a better team. I’ll have the same crew. Also I’m really close with Bobby [Regan, team owner] at Star Racing so I think it’ll be a really good Yamaha family, like I think some of the other manufacturers have. It’s going to be sweet.
