Cooper Webb is never a master of qualifying, but he felt exceptionally off in Seattle, and the series leader (coming into the race) wasn’t sure if he could fix it for the night show. Then came a rare heat race win—his first of the year—and a little finger gun salute toward Chase Sexton.
Webb was back in the game, and things looked promising early in the main event as he got ahead of title rival Eli Tomac. He couldn’t hold him there this time, though, and after the race Webb could be seen showing some frustration that the race didn’t come to him. Not only did Tomac get away, but Webb had to fend off a hard-charging Justin Barcia down the stretch. Now he and Tomac are tied in points heading into the only off-weekend left on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross calendar.
Webb touched on all of it in the post-race press conference.
Could you feel Justin [Barcia] closing on you?
Cooper Webb: Yeah, I could tell he was riding well and was getting me there at the end. I was struggling at the end, the track changed quite a bit and some of my lines seemed to go away. I was definitely being a little conservative and then I saw he was catching me so I had to kind of get going again. I was able to barely hold him off, it was a good fight.
This was one of your worst days in terms of qualifying, but you’re once again on the podium. What do you attest the difference to?
Yeah, I didn’t gel well with the track in practice at all. I knew it was tough. In terms of the night show it’s time to step up. I definitely didn’t put myself in a good position. Even though normally the heat races don’t mean a whole lot, this [the win] definitely gave me the spark to know we’re in it. That was good. I knew the track is going to break down and that’s usually something I excel at, so I didn’t lose too much faith in it, but, yeah, I was really off in practice, just couldn’t find a flow and really struggled all day, every session. So it was definitely good to bounce back and if you had told me this morning I’d be on the podium, I would have been quite happy. To be able to fight like that to P2, and stay in the fight, was awesome.
Coop we haven’t seen the finger gun in a couple of years. [Referencing Webb holding off Sexton to win a heat race, and then giving Sexton the finger gun over the finish]
[Laughs] Yeah man it felt good! I haven’t won a heat race all year and Chase is really good in those. It was a cool deal and it was one of those things to maybe get him out of whack and to lose focus….seems like it maybe worked.
You said, considering your qualifying, you would have been pumped to be on the podium. But after the main event, it looked like you had some disappointment on your face.
When you’re in a certain window, which I thought I was at one point, to contend, and you don’t do that, it’s a bit of a bummer. I made a lot of mistakes late, and I was more bummed on that. It’s tough. Eli is such a good, strong competitor. I think at one point I passed him and he passed me back. I was in a window where I was close enough to make it happen, and he started doing that whoop line and I should have picked up on it and I didn’t though, and I started making some mistakes doing my jump line. We’re all competitors, and unless I execute a perfect race, you’re always a little bit upset afterward.
You have a week off now?
Yeah it will definitely be nice, but it’s tough when you’re in that race mode and you just want to finish this thing out. We’ll do some outdoor testing and enjoy a weekend off.
| Position | Rider | Hometown | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Chase Sexton | La Moille, IL  | 372 |
| 2 |  Eli Tomac | Cortez, CO | 339 |
| 3 |  Cooper Webb | Newport, NC | 304 |
| 4 |  Ken Roczen | Mattstedt, Germany  | 304 |
| 5 |  Justin Barcia | Monroe, NY | 267 |
For both Cooper [Webb] and Eli, this would be a third championship if you get it. Can you talk about what a third title would mean and what drives you?
Cooper: Yeah it would be special. We both have two and that’s an amazing. It’s kinda weird, but this is the first year we’ve really went head-to-head. I think that’s what everyone hopes for. It definitely is what we work for every day, and it’s the ultimate goal. After you win a series, it’s an addicting feeling. To have a third would be an amazing feeling and that’s what we keep striving for.
Eli: Yeah it’s just cool that we’re tied right now. That’s cool for everyone to see. Yeah, I don’t want to talk about the end [winning a third title], but I think it’s cool right now for everyone to see us this close.
There aren’t many races in the Pacific Northwest. Can you talk about the fans here a little bit?
Yeah like these guys touched on, it’s been a great season for racing and for the fans. It’s tight in the points and I think that’s a fan’s dream. Tonight it was loud, it was pretty crazy to see. All year it’s been like that. Yeah, it was a great turnout tonight.
