The 2019, 2021 and 2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross champion, Cooper Webb knows a thing or two about pressure. In fact, the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing athlete is now deep in the throes of the 2026 Supercross title fray. Fourth in points and 26 marks out of the championship lead with six rounds yet to be run, Webb, is once again feeling the pressure again in his career. He's been there many times. Leading into this this Saturday’s St. Louis round of the series, Webb talked about the pressure changes he felt during his three championship seasons.
“The pressure changed with each championship,” pointed out Webb. “I mean It’s something that you’re always going to feel, right? And it’s always what you strive for. Especially that last championship in 2025. I’d say it was almost more pressure because you want it so badly again and everything like that. Right now we’re a little bit out of it, for sure. We need some stuff to go our way a little bit. I think the pressure, it’s always been there. It’s just how you kind if deal with it. I think if anything though for me, as I’m getting older it’s almost a little bit more [pressure] because you know your days are dwindling.”
Having earned a main event victory inside NRG Stadium in Houston and raced to an additional four podium finishes throughout the series, Webb is fourth in the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship point standings. That is obviously not where last year's champion wants to be.
“Yeah, my season has been okay,” offered Webb of his racing year thus far. “A lot of little mistakes that have added up to a lot, honestly. A lot of should have been, could have been, would have been, type deals. Obviously, the good races have been good, but yeah, we’re sitting fourth right now. At this point we were hoping we would be a little bit closer and more in the mix, but with all being said, when I look at it as a whole, we’re still in contention. That’s the goal every year that we line up. The goal is to be a title threat, so as long as we are in that all the way to the end, then I’ll be happy.”
Eli Tomac, Hunter Lawrence and Ken Roczen hold down the top three positions in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and Webb explained that the on-track competition amongst them has been fierce.
“Yeah, I love it, man,” said Webb. ‘As we know, with Eli, he’s one of the best to ever to do it, and Kenny is up there, as well. And now with Hunter, I think everyone knew he was going to take a step eventually in supercross and he definitely did this year, right? Some gnarly competition. They’re all different in their own ways. I raced Eli and Kenny the majority of my career, but this is kind of my first time racing Hunter head-to-head in a championship like this. He’s obviously a very good rider. The whole family, they have their stuff together. It’s definitely been a tough year having all four of us in the mix pretty much every weekend and it keeps you on your toes. When you’ve kind of been racing the guys, you know their tendencies a little bit, and we’re all really good right now. We’re all in good form and we’re getting good starts and we’re all fast and we’re all consistent and we all have the fitness to go the whole way. Obviously, Hunter and Eli have had a little bit more success than Kenny and I so far throughout the season with race wins and stuff like that, but we’re all close, right? It’s just small stuff. If I would have maybe been a little bit better here and there, it would have added up to more wins or more podiums or stuff like that, but that’s why we race and you never know what’s going to happen on Saturday. It’s not easy, that’s for sure. You give it everything you’ve got and you’re giving it your absolute all every single lap. We’re all starting good and have the speed. There is no one that is lacking anything right now, so you’ve got to be there the whole entire race.”
Cooper Webb lined up for his very first AMA Pro Racing event at Hangtown on May 18, 2013. Thirteen years later, he’s still fast at it and as fiercely competitive as ever.
“It’s been a great career,” said Webb. “It’s flown by, that’s for sure. I feel like I’m still getting better and that’s why I kind of continue to do it. As long as I’m having fun and motivated and in contention to win some championships, then I want to be out there. I’m still enjoying going to the track and doing the grind it takes to be successful, and I don’t see it coming to an end anytime soon. Especially in supercross. Supercross is something that I’m still extremely passionate about. Yeah, it’s been a great career and hopefully we can add to it.”
Beginning with The Dome at America Center round in St. Louis, Missouri on April fourth, there will be six races to run before the Monster Energy AMA Supercross season wraps up at Salt Lake City, Utah on May 9. Webb weighed in on how he plans to approach and attack the final phase of the 2026 campaign.
“I think for me now, it’s just kind of going out there and winning,” said Webb. “Hopefully, those guys start thinking about championship and start messing with each other a little bit more than me and I can just go and try click off some wins. That’s kind of my goal and where I’m at. Like I said, it’s a stretch at this point. Anything is possible and I’m going to give it the horns and everything I’ve got to try to win the championship. You never know. We saw in Detroit that it can flip so quickly.”
Can Cooper Webb win it? He's down 26. Can he somehow grab a fourth Monster Energy AMA Supercross title in 2026?
“I mean yeah!” he fired back. “Never say never, man! I think that’s the attitude. At certain parts in the year, you’re thinking, ‘Alright, let’s stay on the podium and let’s be consistent.’ But like I said that narrative has definitely changed now where it is that I’ve got to go win some races. I also kind of have that pressure off of still being within the championship fight, but I’m also a little out of it. It’s kind of like a unique position where the pressure for me is almost off in a sense. To win a fourth one is the goal, right? That’s why we line up and everything like that. Having three titles is amazing and I think that is something that I never thought I would achieve, but with that being said, you want to keep stacking and try to be one of the greatest in the sport.”
Does Webb think about his legacy and the body of work he’ll leave behind as a racer when his racing career all over and done with?
“Sure,” he replied. “I think right now, not as much. It’s cool to look back and see all the accomplishments you’ve had and the records and all that, but no, it’s not something I am foaming at the mouth over, but I’m sure one day it will be cool to look back on it all. Adding my name to the three-time list was super special. Anything past that is the cherry on top.”
Any idea of how long he’s going to keep going for?
“I don’t know. Like I said, I think there is still a lot of fun I have in supercross. Motocross, it’s definitely dwindling down. I think this might be my last year racing the motocross series, but for supercross, I still really enjoy it. I still feel very competitive in supercross. I think a few more years, for sure.”
And does he still feel the rush of showing up at a football or baseball stadium to race under the klieg lights before 50,000 fans?
“Yeah, it’s a rush, man. It’s a good feeling. It’s still there. You still get the butterflies. I think for me, what I enjoy is the actual racing. I enjoy all of it, but there is nothing like lining up Saturday night at the stadium and the crowd and the lights. It’s a special feeling and I definitely get those same adrenalin rushes.”
