COOPER WEBB BACK IN AMA SX BATTLE

Having won three of the AMA Supercross series’ opening four rounds in what can only be described as dominant fashion, Eli Tomac’s odds for a third AMA 450SX title in 2023 firmed considerably. In fact, pundits’ attention had turned not to whether Tomac would win the following round, but how quickly he would surpass Ricky Carmichael’s 48 main event wins and move into third place in AMA SX’s all-time win list (behind Jeremy McGrath and James Stewart).

But like all win streaks, it all goes swimmingly … until it doesn’t! And that’s exactly what happened last weekend at the Tampa round of the 2023 AMA Supercross series. Capitalising on Tomac being visibly off his game all night, another two-time champ in the form of Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb was suddenly very much on his game! Webb went on to claim his first 450SX Main event victory since late in the 2021 season, and close the gap to the red plate holder, Tomac (who ran an uncharacteristically distant fourth), to just 4 points. And you know what they say about Webb being a confidence player!? Yep, there’s a sense that Webb can now smell blood in the water, having gone 2-2-4-5-1 over the opening five rounds.

Adding icing to the Tampa round’s orange cake was the fact Webb’s Red Bull KTM teammate, Aaron Plessinger, finished a very strong third place, elevating himself to sixth in the standings in the process. It was Plessinger’s first podium in 21 rounds.

Here’s an excerpt from the Red Bull KTM team’s PR about the standout result in Florida…

After registering the fifth-fastest qualifying time aboard his KTM 450SX-F Factory Edition, Webb found himself outside the top 10 early in his Heat race. Undeterred, the 27-year-old Florida resident remained calm and steadily moved his way forward to finish sixth for a direct transfer.

Putting that Heat race result behind him, Webb launched to the Main Event holeshot and quickly settled into second position. He continued to increase pressure on the leader and was rewarded when a mistake enabled Webb to power ahead, resulting in his first Supercross victory since his title-winning season in 2021. As a result, Webb is now just four points outside of the championship lead following five rounds.

Cooper Webb: “I came into today knowing I needed to execute a good result, but the day didn’t start out that special for me, as I struggled in qualifying and my Heat race. In the Main Event, I really focused and went to work – I got a good start and rode really solid laps, although the sand and the lapped riders were tough. I saw the leader go down and I was able to take the lead and the win. It’s been over a year since I’ve won a race, so now that I’ve got that winning feeling again, I now have the confidence, equipment, fitness and speed to do it again. From a championship standpoint, we’re in a great spot and confidence is key for me, so I look forward to Oakland.”

A seventh-fastest qualifying lap gave Plessinger a reasonable gate-pick for his Heat race, and the fan favorite capitalised, moving quickly into third position early on. Not content with a top-three finish, he made an incredible pass through the whoops to finish the Heat in P2.

Another quick launch off the Main Event gate saw Plessinger and his KTM 450SX-F Factory Edition emerge from the first turn in third place, and he steadily distanced himself from any challengers to finish in a well-deserved third to secure Red Bull KTM Factory Racing two of the three podium positions. Plesssinger now sits sixth in the championship point-standings.

Aaron Plessinger: “This was a big confidence-booster for me. I’ve been working on my starts and that’s definitely been showing. It felt good to get out front and run with the front guys, although I made a couple of mistakes during the Main Event that meant I couldn’t really latch onto them. In saying that, I’m pumped – third place is the best result I’ve had in a while, and it’s given me more confidence as we head to Oakland.”

The next race takes place on February 18 inside RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland, California. The event is the rescheduled Round 2 that was postponed due to regional flooding.

RESULTS – 450SX CLASS @ TAMPA

1. Cooper Webb (USA), KTM, 25 laps

2. Chase Sexton (USA), Honda, +6.169

3. Aaron Plessinger (USA), KTM, +13.263

STANDINGS – 450SX CLASS (AFTER 5 ROUNDS)

1. Eli Tomac, 113 points

2. Chase Sexton, 111 points

3. Cooper Webb, 109 points

RESULTS – 250SX EAST CLASS @ TAMPA

1. Hunter Lawrence (AUS), Honda, 19 laps

2. Nate Thrasher (USA), Yamaha, +00.134

3. Max Anstie (GBR), Honda, +16.116