Cooper Webb finally got that “bridesmaid” monkey off his back after claiming his first career 250 AMA Pro National MX win at Muddy Creek Raceway in round five of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship in Blountville, Tennessee, June 28. In the first two rounds, Webb finished second to teammate Jeremy Martin, but he finally got the big one today.
Second overall on the day went to Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett, the overall winner at the previous two rounds, while third overall went to GEICO Honda’s Justin Bogle.
For Webb, who hails from neighboring North Carolina, the victory was sweet in that in came at what he considers his home race. The man trying to rain on Webb’s parade, however, was Baggett, who snatched the first-moto win from Webb by 0.080 of a second, passing him on the last lap, right at the end. An unhappy Webb vowed to come back in the second moto and get that first win.
Although Bogle took holeshot honors in the second race — followed by Valli Yamaha’s Christophe Pourcel — Webb would get past both riders early in the race and, this time, keep it all the way to the checkered flag. But he still had to deal with a charging Baggett who tried to pull off a repeat of moto two — and he almost did.
Just like he did in moto one, Baggett gave it his all to get by Webb, only this time to lose the front end in a turn and fall. Not only did it cost him a chance of winning and taking the overall, but the fall would also cost Baggett second in the race. He ended up third behind eventual second-place finisher Bogle. Baggett still kept second overall.
Pourcel would end the day fourth overall, finishing third in moto one and fourth in moto two. Last year’s winner, Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin finished behind his fellow Frenchman with two fifth-place finishes.
Troy Lee Design’s Cole Seely finished sixth overall with a 6-8 tally, while series points leader Martin ended up a disappointing seventh overall. It could’ve been worse for him, however, as he recovered from a first-turn pile-up in the first moto to finish 10th. He bettered that by four positions in the second moto.
Seely’s teammate Jessy Nelson claimed eighth overall with a 7-10 tally, followed by Baggett’s teammate Dean Wilson with a 14-7 tally. It was Wilson’s first race back since suffering a leg injury at Glen Helen (round one).
Filling out the top 10 was SmartTop/MotoConcepts’ Kyle Cunningham.
Martin’s lead in the championship has slipped to just eight over his teammate Webb, 203-195. Baggett is third with 188 points.
2014 Tennessee National
250 Motocross Overall Results
1. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) 2-1
2. Blake Baggett (Kawasaki) 1-3
3. Justin Bogle (Honda) 4-2
4. Christophe Pourcel (Yamaha) 3-4
5. Marvin Musquin (KTM) 5-5
6. Cole Seely (Honda) 6-8
7. Jeremy Martin (Yamaha) 10-6
8. Jessy Nelson (Honda) 7-10
9. Dean Wilson (Kawasaki) 14-7
10. Kyle Cunningham (Honda) 8-13
