Did You Know Justin Cooper Has Only Missed One Pro Motocross Race Since Turning Pro in 2017?
Justin Cooper 🤝 Always showing up
How about this for interesting facts you did not realize: Justin Cooper has only missed ONE round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship since turning pro. Seriously!
Cooper turned pro at the end of the 2017 season and since then, the only time he did not race a moto of Pro Motocross was the 2023 High Point National, when a qualifying crash left his neck bruised and swollen, which resulted in a trip to the hospital. He qualified for the motos but did not end up racing. But that is the only time he has not raced a Pro Motocross race! Other than that, Cooper has started all 92 Pro Motocross races that have taken place since his debut at the ’17 Unadilla National.
Cooper has missed some races in Monster Energy AMA Supercross, mostly when he missed the entire 2021 250SX due to a broken foot. But when it comes to Pro Motocross, Cooper is always there, fast, gets out of the gates good, and he always finishes the races.
JCoop made all the races in 2024. And again in 2025. That's a heck of an accomplishment but one that usually goes unnoticed.
With that in mind, Cooper was selected as our Racer X Rider of the Year for 2025.
The January 2026 Issue of Racer X Illustrated
Always There
And showing up each weekend and doing well paid off for Cooper, who entered the SMX Playoffs as the #1 seed this year, having the red plates on his 450 for the first time at the first playoff race in September. He finished fifth in the SMX World Championship this year, earning an extra $150,000.
In those 92 Pro Motocross races, Cooper’s average overall finish is 4.6. In terms of overall finishing positions, he has:
-4 wins
-44 podiums
-69 top fives
-86 top tens
-6 total overall finishes outside the top ten (worst is 15th overall)
I asked him about this stat (92 starts in 93 races) at the SMX Media Days. Here is what Cooper said when I asked if he is durability gets overlooked:
"Yeah, I think so. And, yeah, going back to that to that stat, I missed High Point, yeah, the one year and I had a qualifying crash. And, yeah, I pretty much was ruled out. I didn't really want to race that day. I jacked up my neck, like I got a bar to the neck so that that took...I was pretty scared, actually. So, yeah, going back to that, I feel like I could send it a little bit more. I feel like that's a little bit too good, right? So, it kind of makes me wonder if I'm, you know, leaving anything on the table. But yeah, I just try to be a calculated rider, and smooth and the sport is really gnarly, so just trying to keep everything that I can in my control. Safe riding and not try to ride over my head too much. So, I think I've gotten lucky in my career but also try to put my best foot forward when I when it comes to being safe."
Does this mean we will see a different Justin Cooper in 2026? One that's willing to take more risks? We'll see.
All Justin Cooper's Pro Motocross Results to Date
| Position | Race | Class | Date | Bike |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Motocross Budds Creek | 450 | August 23, 2025 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 5 | Motocross Unadilla | 450 | August 16, 2025 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 4 | Motocross Ironman | 450 | August 9, 2025 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 6 | Motocross Washougal | 450 | July 19, 2025 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 10 | Motocross Spring Creek | 450 | July 12, 2025 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 3 | Motocross RedBud | 450 | July 5, 2025 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 4 | Motocross Southwick | 450 | June 28, 2025 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 5 | Motocross High Point | 450 | June 14, 2025 | Yamaha |
| 4 | Motocross Thunder Valley | 450 | June 7, 2025 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 3 | Motocross Hangtown Motocross Classic | 450 | May 31, 2025 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 5 | Motocross Fox Raceway | 450 | May 24, 2025 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 5 | Motocross Ironman | 450 | August 24, 2024 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 10 | Motocross Budds Creek | 450 | August 17, 2024 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 6 | Motocross Unadilla | 450 | August 10, 2024 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 5 | Motocross Washougal | 450 | July 20, 2024 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 3 | Motocross Spring Creek | 450 | July 13, 2024 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 5 | Motocross RedBud | 450 | July 6, 2024 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 4 | Motocross Southwick | 450 | June 29, 2024 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 5 | Motocross High Point | 450 | June 15, 2024 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 3 | Motocross Thunder Valley | 450 | June 8, 2024 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 4 | Motocross Hangtown Motocross Classic | 450 | June 1, 2024 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 6 | Motocross Fox Raceway | 450 | May 25, 2024 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 4 | Motocross Ironman | 250 | August 26, 2023 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 2 | Motocross Budds Creek | 250 | August 19, 2023 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross Unadilla | 250 | August 12, 2023 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 2 | Motocross Washougal | 250 | July 22, 2023 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 2 | Motocross Spring Creek | 250 | July 15, 2023 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 2 | Motocross Southwick | 250 | July 8, 2023 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross RedBud | 250 | July 1, 2023 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 2 | Motocross Thunder Valley | 250 | June 10, 2023 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 2 | Motocross Hangtown Motocross Classic | 250 | June 3, 2023 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 5 | Motocross Fox Raceway | 250 | May 27, 2023 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross Fox Raceway 2 | 250 | September 3, 2022 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 6 | Motocross Ironman | 250 | August 27, 2022 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 5 | Motocross Budds Creek | 250 | August 20, 2022 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 2 | Motocross Unadilla | 250 | August 13, 2022 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 2 | Motocross Washougal | 250 | July 23, 2022 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 4 | Motocross Spring Creek | 250 | July 16, 2022 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross Southwick | 250 | July 9, 2022 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 7 | Motocross RedBud | 250 | July 2, 2022 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 5 | Motocross High Point | 250 | June 18, 2022 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 4 | Motocross Thunder Valley | 250 | June 11, 2022 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 2 | Motocross Hangtown | 250 | June 4, 2022 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 12 | Motocross Fox Raceway 1 | 250 | May 28, 2022 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 1 | Motocross Hangtown | 250 | September 11, 2021 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross Fox Raceway 2 | 250 | September 4, 2021 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross Ironman | 250 | August 28, 2021 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross Budds Creek | 250 | August 21, 2021 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 2 | Motocross Unadilla | 250 | August 14, 2021 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross Washougal | 250 | July 24, 2021 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross Spring Creek | 250 | July 17, 2021 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross Southwick | 250 | July 10, 2021 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 2 | Motocross RedBud | 250 | July 3, 2021 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross High Point | 250 | June 19, 2021 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 1 | Motocross Thunder Valley | 250 | June 5, 2021 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross Fox Raceway 1 | 250 | May 29, 2021 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 12 | Motocross Fox Raceway | 250 | October 10, 2020 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 1 | Motocross Thunder Valley | 250 | October 3, 2020 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 2 | Motocross WW Ranch | 250 | September 26, 2020 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 5 | Motocross Spring Creek | 250 | September 19, 2020 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 7 | Motocross RedBud National II | 250 | September 7, 2020 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 9 | Motocross RedBud National I | 250 | September 4, 2020 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 4 | Motocross Ironman | 250 | August 29, 2020 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 11 | Motocross Loretta Lynn's II | 250 | August 22, 2020 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 8 | Motocross Loretta Lynn's | 250 | August 15, 2020 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 2 | Motocross Ironman | 250 | August 24, 2019 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross Budds Creek | 250 | August 17, 2019 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 4 | Motocross Unadilla | 250 | August 10, 2019 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross Washougal | 250 | July 27, 2019 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 7 | Motocross Spring Creek | 250 | July 20, 2019 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross RedBud | 250 | July 6, 2019 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross Southwick | 250 | June 29, 2019 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 1 | Motocross Florida | 250 | June 22, 2019 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 9 | Motocross High Point | 250 | June 15, 2019 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 2 | Motocross Thunder Valley | 250 | June 1, 2019 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 2 | Motocross Pala | 250 | May 25, 2019 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 2 | Motocross Hangtown | 250 | May 18, 2019 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 5 | Motocross Ironman | 250 | August 25, 2018 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 7 | Motocross Budds Creek | 250 | August 18, 2018 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 8 | Motocross Unadilla | 250 | August 11, 2018 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 7 | Motocross Washougal | 250 | July 28, 2018 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 2 | Motocross Spring Creek | 250 | July 21, 2018 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 5 | Motocross RedBud | 250 | July 7, 2018 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 15 | Motocross Southwick | 250 | June 30, 2018 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 10 | Motocross Tennessee | 250 | June 23, 2018 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross High Point | 250 | June 16, 2018 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 3 | Motocross Thunder Valley | 250 | June 2, 2018 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 6 | Motocross Glen Helen | 250 | May 26, 2018 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 5 | Motocross Hangtown | 250 | May 19, 2018 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 11 | Motocross Ironman | 250 | August 26, 2017 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 11 | Motocross Budds Creek | 250 | August 19, 2017 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 5 | Motocross Unadilla | 250 | August 12, 2017 | Yamaha YZ250F |
