You’d be forgiven if you didn’t know Justin Cooper was racing with a fractured collarbone on Saturday night in Las Vegas. The Monster Energy Yamaha Star racing rider went 5-7 for sixth overall, which is a solid result by itself. With injury, it’s outstanding. Of course, it fits right in with what Cooper has been doing all year, which is quietly putting in stellar rides while somehow managing to avoid the spotlight. In Vegas, he even avoided practice on Friday while his competitors familiarized themselves with the track.
“I skipped practice on Friday. I crashed last Saturday, and my collarbone hurt so bad on Sunday and Monday,” Cooper said afterward in the pits. “After that the pain kind of went away a little bit and it got better and better. I wasn’t expecting to do much this weekend, I didn’t think it’d go well. It was a big question mark if I’d even be able to ride today. I taped it up and went out there to feel it out in the first qualifying session, and we were able to get a few laps in. I ended up getting a Toradol shot before the race, which I tried to hold off on. If I got it before practice, it’d wear off for the racing. I had different stages in the race. In the beginning it sucked, I wasn’t warmed up yet, but after five minutes, that middle section felt all right. Then it would get tired and start aching. I was going through a roller coaster of stuff. I think the adrenaline definitely kicked in and helped out. I was definitely being cautious out there.”
In addition to exercising caution, Cooper had to implement discretion, opting for smooth, controlled movements on the bike over aggressive racing.
“It was just the mistakes I had to limit. If I messed up a jump or cased something, that push and pull on the bars is what did it,” Cooper explained. “The whole night the main focus was just being smooth and eliminating those mistakes that could cause pain. Being smooth paid off.”
Related: Justin Cooper Re-Signs with Star Yamaha for 2025
Patience isn’t necessarily something you might expect from a rookie in the premier class (Cooper raced five 450SX races in 2023, but this was his first full season on the big bike), but Cooper isn’t a typical rookie, either. You’ve probably never heard him complain in interviews or come across any questionable social media posts from him. You could describe him as the strong, silent type in that regard, but there’s nothing silent about the year he’s had. He was sixth overall in Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and even finished second at the finale in Salt Lake City. In the AMA Pro Motocross Championship he was even better, earning two podium finishes on his way to fourth overall. He then finished eighth in the 450SMX standings. But in typical Cooper fashion, about the closest you’ll get to any self-promotion is him admitting he did well when asked about his season.
"I think I met my expectations," he said. "I wanted to be on the podium a couple times, I did that, and I learned a lot. The class is definitely tough right now and it’s good to continue to battle with these guys and learn.”
Look for Cooper to perform even better in 2025. Just don’t expect to hear him talk about it—he lets his riding speak for itself.
| Position | Rider | Hometown | Qualifying Points | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jett Lawrence | Landsborough, Australia  | 561 | 156 |
| 2 |  Hunter Lawrence | Landsborough, Australia | 669 | 156 |
| 3 |  Eli Tomac | Cortez, CO  | 349 | 129 |
| 4 |  Aaron Plessinger | Hamilton, OH | 601 | 116 |
| 5 |  Cooper Webb | Newport, NC | 350 | 109 |
| 6 |  Ken Roczen | Mattstedt, Germany  | 254 | 103 |
| 7 |  Chase Sexton | La Moille, IL | 811 | 89 |
| 8 |  Justin Cooper | Cold Spring Harbor, NY | 598 | 81 |
