JUSTIN COOPER: IT’S TIME TO WIN

Recorded between Round 1 and 2 of the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship, this interview with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper captured a rider brimming with confidence after a solid Pala opener — before a crash at Hangtown left him concussed and sidelined for Thunder Valley. With that context in mind, here’s what Cooper had to say heading into what he hoped would be a breakout outdoor season…

Having turned professional in 2017 and with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing organisation his entire career, Justin Cooper launched the third year of his 450 outdoor campaign in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Fox Raceway in Pala. Stringing together 3-6 moto scores for fourth overall, Cooper and his No. 32 Yamaha YZ450F slotted in between rivals Jett Lawrence of Honda and teammate Haiden Deegan in the overall 450 standings. Furthermore, over the weekend in Southern California, the 28 year-old out of Cold Springs Harbor, New York also let it be known that he had renewed his contract with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing outfit for the 2027 racing season. Now back in Florida and getting tuned up for the Hangtown Motocross Classic set for this approaching Saturday in Rancho Cordova, California, Cooper took a break from testing and training to talk about just what comes next.

“I’m back in Florida,” said Cooper, preparing for the next 20 motos of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship this summer. “We aren’t staying out in California in between races. There is always stuff to work on after round one and, yeah, that’s what we’re doing. We had a good day riding today and another day riding tomorrow and then head back out to California.”

Fourth overall in the fiercely fought 450 classification, Cooper was pleased with his performance at Fox Raceway.

“Yeah, I felt like Pala went really well,” explained the soft spoken New Yorker. “I felt like it was a really solid day. Pala is not one of my favourite tracks, so I feel like a fourth place overall was positive and we’ll take it. It’s good momentum going into the next few rounds. But Pala was good. We’re really good at what we do, so we get to adapt to all these different tracks. Some are obviously a little easier to ride and Pala ain’t one of them. I feel like the hardpack and potholes and just the way the California tracks get is always tricky. I like a
little bit of loam and a little bit more of a softer base. Yeah, that’s why we race for the championship. We get all of these different conditions and that’s part of it and I feel like the day went really well considering everything.”

Getting a somewhat slow jump out of the gate to start the second moto at Pala, Cooper rounded and came out of the first turn in 17th position. Undaunted by it all, Cooper steadily motored through the 450 field to meet the checkered flag in sixth position.

“Yeah, I got a mediocre start in the second moto,” said Cooper. “I probably started mid-pack. If you start like that, your work is cut out for you. Especially in this class when you’re starting back there. I had a few close calls, but other than that I was able to charge all the way through the second moto and stay strong and pick some guys off. I thought it was a good moto considering the start.”

“The competition was kind of what I expected,” furthered Cooper. “Obviously the Lawrence brothers are always good. Especially at Pala. It was good to be in the battle there and I think it’s only going to become better. I feel like my riding was really good and I’ve got a little bit more to show. I felt like I was riding in my comfort zone and not taking too many risks. With how gnarly the track was, I felt like I was pretty much in control and able to do the race pace quite well. That was nice to feel coming off the supercross championship. It’s a whole new series so you always wonder how you’re going to stack up outdoors and we’re right where we need to be. It’s just a lot going on with the different outdoor bike setup and just finding a setting so quick heading into outdoors. We kind of rely on years past and I felt like we nailed it pretty good. We were definitely comfortable out there, so that was a positive, for sure.”

Cooper believed the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team had the works YZ450F dialed-in quite well and felt at one with the motorcycle all afternoon at Pala.

“Yeah, everything felt good at Pala,” he explained. “The stuff that we did struggle with, we can kind of go back this week and make those changes and work on being better, right? It’s all good.”

How did Justin Cooper find battling with Hunter Lawrence, Jett Lawrence, Haiden Deegan, Jorge Prado and a number of other world class racers in the curtain raising round of the American championship fray?

“It was fun,” he answered. “A lot of hype around those guys, so it was nice to go slide in there and do battle with those guys under the radar. Nothing really surprised me. I know they’re all going to be good, so it was definitely good to be in the mix. I felt like I was closer than I normally am at Pala. With that track I definitely feel like there is a limit and you don’t want to override that track. It doesn’t do anything good for you. I felt like I was in a good flow and a good pace and I just tried to do my own laps. You can definitely struggle there, so with how everything went and how I felt, it was a really good day. Yeah, I’m ready for some more racing.”

A strong and positive launch to the AMA Pro Motocross Championship for Cooper, he firmly believes he can be up in the mix and in the fight for the ’26 450cc title.

“Yeah, for sure I can be in the mix,” he pointed out. “I definitely need to start up there with those guys. I feel like those guys are always up there on the start, so I’m definitely going to have to be there with them right away. The pace is no joke, so I’m just going to work on that this week and hopefully get out front and then really lay it down. I feel like I don’t have any pace advantage over these guys, so I definitely have to be up there on the start to have a chance.”

Next up Justin Cooper will climb aboard a passenger jet and fly off to Rancho Cordova, California and the second round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship struggle. One week removed from Rancho Cordova will bring the third round of championship at Thunder Valley Motocross Park outside of Denver, Colorado. Then, immediately following Denver, Cooper and the entire AMA Pro Motocross contingent head pell mell to sweeping High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania for round number four.

“I enjoy Hangtown,” said Cooper. “I feel like it’s always a really good racetrack. And it always brings the heat, too. The heat is always really, really bad there. It should be a little bit tougher this week, I think. Denver is probably my best track, so I’ve had a lot of success there. My rookie year I led both motos for 25 minutes. That place is always good to me. Yeah, I’m excited for most of these rounds. High Point is definitely a track that’s tricky for me, but I always enjoy going back East, for sure.”

And the overall goal along the way this summer for Cooper is to win motos against the best racers in the world.

“Winning motos is the goal this year,” stated Cooper. “We haven’t won a moto yet. I’ve got a lot of seconds. I’m going to try my best. It ain’t no easy task, but I’ll definitely put my best foot forward each day and make the strides to go out there and get it done. I feel like if you win an overall, you’re the best guy in the world that day. The class definitely keeps getting more and more competitive. It’s good to see and it is definitely more rewarding when you do get those good results. An overall podium finish is always awesome and I think the goal is to get a win this year. I’m still chasing that first win. That would be huge for me. I’m capable of doing it, I’ve just got to be in the right positions, right? You have to execute the whole day. I’m at the point where I want to make it happen. We’re close and it is definitely good to see that. And Yamaha is home for me. It’s my ninth year with them, so I’ve been there my whole career and yeah, it makes it really easy to make changes and to get a feeling that I’m comfortable with. That’s never a problem and we work really well together. It’s time to win.”