Ahead of the final AMA Pro Motocross Championship round of Justin Cooper’s second 450 season, the New York native reflected on the long campaign from January through August.
“Yeah, one race at a time for me right now,” he said Friday during the press window. “It's been a long season. So, yeah, we've been really, really close to podiums. A lot of fourths and fifths. Couple podiums this season so far in outdoors. But, yeah, I would like to finish it on the podium. Obviously, that's the goal. We got Jett and Hunter going really fast, and Eli, RJ, and me are always in a battle, it feels like. So, good starts here, that's important. It's pretty well in line here. It's definitely hard to make passes, so definitely start up front and go from there.”
“I want to finish on a high note,” he said, finishing off the interview.
Cooper followed up on what he said, pulling great starts and putting himself up in the battle in both motos before netting third overall for the third time this summer. His strong results landed him fourth in the 450 Class Championship, but in the big picture he had already clinched first in SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) qualifying points heading into the SMX Playoffs. He was focused on finishing the outdoors season strong but also anticipating the hybrid-style playoffs.
“It’s nice to think ahead, for sure,” Cooper said after Budds Creek, noting the anticipation for the playoffs. “It will be my first red plate on a 450, so that will be exciting for me. Obviously, a big goal of mine.”
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“Yeah, it’s been a great season for me,” he continued. “Consistent and a lot of podiums. So, yeah, heading into SMX, now we can focus on that. We’ve been prepping for that here and there. Really excited for that. But, yeah, not getting too far ahead of myself and finishing out strong.”
He mentioned the strong field makes for intense battles week in and week out for any position within scoring points. last weekend, he battled hard with Dylan Ferrandis, making a last-lap pass for sixth.
“I caught up to him and Jorge [Prado] there in the beginning of the first moto, and he was able to make the pass on him. Kind of got away from me. And, yeah, I kind of got up to him and I could not make the pass for what felt like a long time, like 10 or 15 minutes. So, I actually backed it off. And so did he. And I re-attacked him the last lap with everything I had and was able to get it done, but he definitely fought me hard. I felt like we were battling for a win out there.” [Laughs]
“It was gnarly and definitely proud of my effort there,” he noted.
“The positions and how you ride, sometimes don't match up,” he added. “[This] Class is definitely really tough up front, and the pace is really high, so you got to have that intensity all the way through. And sometimes I can't carry that pace all the way through. So, some tracks are different, more comfortable for me, and hopefully this weekend we can, you know, find that flow and definitely get up front and stay there.
He did just that. He now has a handful of podiums at this very venue.
Justin Cooper's Budds Creek National Results
| Position | Race | Class | Date | Bike |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Motocross Budds Creek | 450 | August 23, 2025 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 10 | Motocross Budds Creek | 450 | August 17, 2024 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 2 | Motocross Budds Creek | 250 | August 19, 2023 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 5 | Motocross Budds Creek | 250 | August 20, 2022 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross Budds Creek | 250 | August 21, 2021 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross Budds Creek | 250 | August 17, 2019 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 7 | Motocross Budds Creek | 250 | August 18, 2018 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 11 | Motocross Budds Creek | 250 | August 19, 2017 | Yamaha YZ250F |
Looking ahead to SMX, Cooper wants to continue to check more boxes off his goals list.
“As far as SMX goes, it’s a whole different animal, I feel like,” he said. “I haven’t been the best there…actually, I’ve never podiumed in an SMX round. So, definitely looking to achieve that at least. Yeah, we’re heading in with that points lead, so we’re going to give it all we got. We’re in the best spot possible. I feel like we already feel really good on what we have there at the [GOAT] Farm and what we’ve been practicing. So just getting comfy on that and doing what everyone else has been doing and getting ready for that first round.”
Cooper said the following in the Yamaha post-race release:
“I honestly felt great all day. Qualifying went really well, and I was second. It was a battle all day out there – everyone was riding really well. I was second in the first moto, and I got another good start in Moto 2 around third. I felt unreal behind those guys for about 15 minutes, but then I made a big mistake, tucked the front, and basically came to a stop. I lost my flow, hit lappers, and RJ (Hampshire) was all over me – it kind of hit all at the same time. So I got a little flustered, and RJ got around me and some lappers. I closed back on him and followed him around, and from there, it was to get to the finish. I wish that I hadn’t made that mistake and tried to battle with those guys at the front, but I did my best, and that’s what matters.”
Rich Simmons, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 Team Manager, commented on Cooper’s day:
“Justin was a bit off in Q1 but put in a good qualifying effort in Q2 and kept that momentum going all day. He had two good starts, which helps on this track, and put in some really good laps in both motos to get on the overall podium. Justin’s put himself in a great position heading into SMX with the overall points lead, so I’m happy for him and proud of the effort he’s put in all year.”
Watch the full post-race press conferences below.
Main image by Mitch Kendra
