ARLINGTON, Texas — The final Texas race and round 12 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship was once again Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb’s night. The 450SX class racer took a well-earned and dramatic win in front of the enthusiastic limited capacity, pod-seated crowd inside AT&T Stadium.
Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen led most of the event and held on for a close second-place finish, and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac was a threat until the end but finished the night in third.
In round five of the Western Regional 250SX class, round-one winner Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha’s Justin Cooper grabbed his second win of the season and recaptured the championship point lead.
When the riders cleared the first corner Ken Roczen jumped into the lead with Webb on his rear tire, Troy Lee Designs / Red Bull / GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia close and Tomac right behind — all four 2021 race winners were up front with only each other and a very technical Texas track to deal with. Roczen looked composed and smooth as he kept a small lead over Webb, who had Barcia close behind for the first three minutes of the 20-minute plus one lap race.
Just over three minutes in, Tomac got around Barcia and chased after the front two riders, but Barcia did not let the group break away from him.
The gap between the top four racers grew and shrank but rarely got to more than a second between any of them; on the longest rhythm lane the lead four were on the same straightaway even at the race’s midpoint. Tomac looked bound to pass Webb five minutes in, but the KTM rider hung tough and held off the Kawasaki rider’s charge.
With just over five minutes left on the race clock Tomac ran into a Tuff Blox, allowing Barcia to get past. The two traded positioning several times until Tomac finally re-establishing himself in third.
Less than a minute after the scrap behind them for third, Webb made his move for the lead. Roczen fought back, and the riders went side by side through several sections before Webb finally made the pass stick exiting the whoops.
Roczen mounted a late charge and closed on Webb, but it was not enough to prevent the red plate holder from sweeping the three Arlington races, giving Webb five wins in the past six races and a 15-point lead in the title chase.
In the Western Regional 250SX class, Justin Cooper broke his three-race podium-less streak with a confidence-inspiring win from the holeshot stripe to the checkered flag. Second place went to Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo who crossed the holeshot stripe in about fifth position but was into second place two corners later.
McAdoo remained close for the first ten minutes of the fifteen-minute plus one lap race but slowly lost touch as Cooper pulled a comfortable gap over the final laps.