Shan Moore | December 29, 2021
2021 Cycle News Rider of the Year/Monster Energy Supercross Champion Cooper Webb: When it comes to racecraft, Cooper Webb is on a level of his own.
By Shan Moore| Photography by KTM Media and Red Bull Content Pool
“These days everyone is in shape. Everyone wants to win. There’s a lot that goes into racing and I think the mental side of racing is definitely an asset that is overlooked. I think I use the mental aspect to my advantage, whether you want to call it racecraft or being able to deal with pressure or whatever it is. I think that gives me the mental edge.” – Cooper Webb
Cooper Webb has racecraft. In fact, he has all the attributes it takes to be a winner, in addition to that mystical intangible that is so hard to find. Whether you want to call it riding with a chip on your shoulder or just the ultimate will to win, Webb has that X-factor it takes to separate oneself from the competition. He is brash and undeterred. Confident and cool under pressure. And, like most champions, he finds a way to push himself beyond his limits.
Webb just looks like a guy who wants to win every time out.
However, after a couple of successful years in the 250 class, which produced two titles in 2015 and 2016, Webb struggled his first two years in the 450 division.
“It was a very, very tough two years,” said Webb. “I struggled a little bit with the transition to the 450s and bike setup and mentally, too. In the Lites class those last two years basically every time I was on the gate, I knew I could win and would more than likely win. I went from that to transitioning into trying to accept I’m a fifth-place guy tonight or a 10th-place guy tonight, in the 450 class. So, it took a lot.”
Injuries played a big part too.
“A lot of it was injuries, unfortunately, just getting injured a lot,” said Webb. “It seemed like my off-seasons I would always get injured, and throughout the season. But I never gave up. I never lost that confidence and that belief in myself that I was a champion, and I could get there in the 450s. I just felt like I needed exactly what happened. A good team behind me, a great bike, a great program. It happened at the perfect time in my career. I think for me that’s what, even to this day, I never want to struggle like that again. So, I think for me, it’s something that taught me a lot of perseverance and makes me appreciate the good days a lot.”
As difficult as 2017 and 2018 were, the 2019 season was a breeze.
“I had zero expectations of winning that season, so I think every time I did win, it was just such a thrill and a shock,” said Webb. “It just seemed like that year everything was going my way. I think besides being sick one round, I didn’t really have any adversity. It seemed like I could almost do no wrong. When it got down to the stretch, it was like, ‘I can win this championship.’ I don’t think it really hit me until honestly probably two or three rounds to go. Like, you’re in a position to win a championship. I think being a champion in the past, even though it’s at a lower level, I knew how to, kind of, race in those situations and handle that pressure. Obviously, there’s a lot more pressure in the 450 class. I think just from the past experience, it definitely helped carry me along.”
After winning his first Supercross 450SX title in 2019, Webb suffered a spectacular crash in Arlington during the 2020 season resulting in multiple herniated discs in his back, an injury that lingered for the remainder of the year and forced him to sit out the outdoor season.
“Sitting out the entire outdoor season and being on the couch and not sure where we’d be, it wasn’t a very good spot to be in,” said Webb. “I didn’t start back riding last year until late in the fall, so I came into 2021 a little underprepared. But it’s a long season in the 450 class and it all worked out. It’s all about being there every single weekend.”
Webb appeared to be healthy going into the 2021 Supercross season but got off to a slow start to the series with a ninth-place finish at the opener in Anaheim. And when Webb’s main title-rival Ken Roczen ripped off three wins in a row in Indianapolis at rounds four through six to take a commanding lead, things began to look challenging as Webb found himself 18 points down from Roczen in the series points. For sure, the pressure was on to get on the right track and Webb and the team burned the midnight oil trying to find the right settings.
“Kenny was so dominant those first six races, so there was definitely some urgency,” said Webb. “Leaving Indy, I was 18 points down. That’s only round six. So, I think that was where it was like, we really need to turn this around and start making some points up, or otherwise it’s going to get out of hand pretty quick.”
In hindsight, Webb considers the third night in Indy as a turning point.
“We made a set-up change at Indianapolis three, after the Tuesday race,” explained Webb. “That night, I ended up getting second to Kenny. That was an overall great day. I qualified first and won my heat race and then ended up second in the main. To me that’s when things definitely turned around.”
“Kenny was so dominant those first six races, so there was definitely some urgency,”
During the preseason, the team had been testing a new experimental shock.
“We made a change in the off-season to the air shock,” said Webb. “Right away I really liked it and felt like it was a really good direction. I think for me, I didn’t start riding until mid-November [due to his 2020 back injury], and it was like I put it on and right away really liked it. It felt great all off-season, but sometimes when you go racing it’s not always the same. So, I think after five races of struggling we just decided we needed to go back to my exact same setting that I raced Salt Lake on the year before, and I ended up running that the rest of the year. You know the old saying, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. So, I think we learned our lesson there a little bit. That’s the thing in our sport. We’re always trying to progress and make the bike and ourselves better. No fault of anyone, just live-and-learn type deal.”
Webb would go on to win five of the next six rounds, finishing second to Eli Tomac at Daytona, while sweeping the two Orlando rounds and the three rounds in Arlington.
“I was able to get on track at Orlando,” said Webb. “I felt like that was a great two races for me. That’s where I feel like we kind of got back into the hunt a little bit. Then Daytona and Dallas were good results. That’s where I felt like our charge kind of began.
“We made a setup change at Indianapolis three, after the Tuesday race. That night, I ended up getting second to Kenny. That was an overall great day. I qualified first and won my heat race and then ended up second in the main. To me that’s when things definitely turned around.”
“Arlington just seemed to suit my style, all three tracks,” said Webb. “I always really enjoy going to Dallas and I love racing in Texas. So, I think maybe it was just kind of comfortable. They’ve changed the dirt from the past and now it’s a really, really good dirt. I just seem to gel really well with it. I just had a lot of confidence. It was that point in the season where I felt it was my time to try to lay down an attack. So, I’m not sure what it was, but it was incredible to win all three. Especially on Tuesday, I had a pretty nasty practice crash and was able to recover from that. I’m not sure what the magic potion was, but it was a great week.”
Finally, at round 11, Webb was able to take over the points lead and the coveted red plate.
Unfazed by the early struggles, and feeling confident and in control after Arlington, Webb was able to “will” his way through the issues and come out on top.
“I feel like I have a good hold on that, the confidence and mental edge,” said Webb. “That’s obviously something that I feel like came from maybe my younger years of racing all over and racing as much as I did, and my dad being hard on me and putting me in those situations. As I’ve gotten into my pro career, I learned how to deal with it even better. I feel like I’m still improving. That’s something on my side that I feel like is a good tool.”
Did the racing get close? Yes. That’s when Webb’s mental toughness kicked in.
“It’s a really long season,” said Webb. “That’s where the fitness late in the season comes into play. That’s also when your mindset comes into play. You feel the pressure every weekend. The pressure to be in that championship fight. You have to know when to stop playing nice. It was like, we’re the two going for this championship and it’s going to get physical. It’s going to get mentally tough. It’s going to come down to the wire, so may the best man win.”
The fact that some of the track layouts didn’t make for easy passing opportunities.
“Some of the tracks are definitely tough when we’re all within the same half a second,” said Webb. “The football stadiums are a lot smaller than even the baseball stadiums. The layouts are hard to really change just because of the floor space. So, it’s definitely getting a lot tougher with the racing. When there’s 10 or so guys on that gate that are capable of winning, it’s definitely making it tougher. Sometimes you need to be aggressive. Sometimes you can play it smart. You never want to be dumb and be dirty, but sometimes you do have to get a little physical and do a good block pass.”
“I feel like I have a good hold on that, the confidence and mental edge. That’s obviously something that I feel like came from maybe my younger years of racing all over and racing as much as I did, and my dad being hard on me and putting me in those situations.”
According to Webb, the fact that he had to come from behind to claim the title is what makes his 2021 championship so special.
“Winning the championship this year was another dream come true,” said Webb. “It definitely seemed a bit harder for me. We didn’t start the year off as good as I would have liked to. As the season went along, we had to dig deep and get back into the points. I was able to get into the fight around midway and then put a really good finish to the season and was able to clinch it. This one was different in the sense of I’ve been there before, and I was able to win in 2019. So, you kind of have that little bit of pressure every time now that I’m on the gate to be the champion or fighting for the title contention. So, I think that was there. After last year getting second in the series and having an up-and-down year, it was just really good to get back on track and be able to win another championship.”
In spite of a less than stellar outdoor season, which netted him fourth overall, Webb looks for another spectacular Supercross season in 2022.
“Sometimes you need to be aggressive. Sometimes you can play it smart. You never want to be dumb and be dirty, but sometimes you do have to get a little physical and do a good block pass.”
“I feel really excited and motivated about the upcoming season,” said Webb. “I feel like it’s another opportunity to show up and be a championship contender. That’s the plan right now. I’ve got a great team and program behind me. I’m looking forward to the challenge. Hoping I can be where I was, if not better than last year. Every year it gets tougher and tougher, but we’re always ready for a challenge. That’s for sure.”CN