Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Cooper Webb is catching fire in the 2016 Lucas Oil 250cc Pro Motocross Championship, and the 21-year-old North Carolinian once again burned the competition when the series made its historic return to The Wick 338 at Southwick, Massachusetts, today.
Webb showed the poise that has taken him to the top of the Lucas Oil 250cc Pro Motocross Series points standings over the past few weeks as he scored his third consecutive series win on the strength of 2-1 moto finishes. Webb battled with teammate and reigning series champion Jeremy Martin in the first moto, with Martin taking his third moto win of the year. However, Webb was even stronger in the second moto, claiming the moto win and the overall after Martin crashed and slipped to fourth place in Moto 2.
“I felt great all day and it’s awesome to win three in a row,” Webb said. “I knew I had my work cut out for me in the first moto by getting such a bad start, but I managed to salvage second behind Jeremy [Martin]. In the second moto I pulled the holeshot, which is important to get clear track in the sand.”
Martin pulled the holeshot in the first 250cc Lucas Oil moto to hit the Southwick sand since 2013, with Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM’s Shane McElrath and Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Aaron Plessinger, but McElrath charged past Martin to take the early lead. Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM’s Mitchell Oldenburg and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Arnaud Tonus also ran in the top five.
McElrath quickly pulled away from the field while Martin was left to fend off Plessinger, who moved into second place on lap two. That seemed to light a fire under Martin, who regained second place two laps later and then set off after McElrath. Martin caught and passed McElrath for the lead on lap five with Tonus finding the drive to pass both Plessinger and McElrath for second place by lap seven.
Meanwhile, Webb ran in the top 10 off the start and steadily worked his way toward the front of the pack, passing Plessinger for third on lap 11 and Tonus for second place on lap 12. Webb then put on another of his patented late-race charges to threaten Martin for the lead late in the moto, but Martin stayed calm and led the race to the finish, claiming moto win number three for the year. Tonus was third, followed by Plessinger and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Austin Forkner.
After having to play catch-up for the entire first moto, Webb left little to chance when he grabed the holeshot in Moto 2. McElrath once again got off the gate well, running second, ahead of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Martin Davalos. Forkner was the man on the move, however, as he quickly made his way to second place behind Webb.
Webb continued to gain time on Forkner and McElrath, and his chances for the overall win got even better when Martin crashed and dropped from fourth place to outside of the top 10 on lap seven. That miscue allowed the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teamsters Joey Savatgy and Tonus to move into fourth and fifth, respectively. Tonus eventually made his way into third while Savatgy had a bad moto for the third consecutive round, crashing and falling outside the top 10.
Webb went wire-to-wire for the win, crossing the line more than 20 seconds ahead of Forkner while McElrath crashed heavily while battling with Yamalube/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Alex Martin and carded a DNF. Alex Martin finished third while brother Jeremy Martin recovered to finish fourth. Martin’s 1-4 finishes bettered Forkner’s 5-2 in the overall standings, giving Martin second overall and Forkner a well-deserved third overall.
Webb’s third consecutive overall win extended his series lead to 37 points over Savatgy, who finished ninth overall (10-11). Savatgy is now under pressure from Jeremy Martin in third, who is just one point behind the Kawasaki rider as the series heads to the Martin family’s home track—literally—Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, Minnesota, for the La Crescent Wine & Spirit Spring Creek National. The race is scheduled to take place on July 16.
2016 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
Red Bull Southwick National
The Wick 338
Southwick, Massachusetts
Results: July 9, 2016 (Round 7 of 12)
250cc Overall
1. Cooper Webb, Newport, NC, Yamaha (2-1)
2. Jeremy Martin, Millville, MN, Yamaha (1-4)
3. Austin Forkner, Richards, MO, Kawasaki (5-2)
4. Alex Martin, Millville, MN, Yamaha (7-3)
5. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, OH, Yamaha (4-5)
6. Arnaud Tonus, Switzerland, Kawasaki (3-8)
7. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, VA, Husqvarna (8-7)
8. Luke Renzland, Hewitt, NJ, Yamaha (12-9)
9. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, GA, Kawasaki (10-11)
10. Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Husqvarna (16-6)
2016 Lucas Oil 250cc Pro Motocross Championship Series Points Standings (after 7 of 12 rounds)
1. Cooper Webb-290/3 overall wins/5 moto wins
2. Joey Savatgy-253/3 overall wins/5 moto wins
3. Jeremy Martin-252/3 moto wins
4. Alex Martin-232/1 overall win
5. Zach Osborne-217
6. Austin Forkner-202
7. Aaron Plessinger-186
8. Arnaud Tonus-138
9. Shane McElrath-132
10. RJ Hampshire-132
Mitchell Oldenburg-132
Your Privacy Choices