Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Cooper Webb may have started off the 2016 Lucas Oil 250cc Pro Motocross Championship series injured, but lately it has been Webb’s turn to put the hurt on his competition Saturday.
For the second straight week, the 21-year-old Webb pulled off an overall win in the 250cc class, this time at the hallowed RedBud MX Park, the series traditional venue for Independence Day Weekend. And not only did Webb win, he pulled off his first career 1-1 sweep on the strength of an amazing late second-moto charge that took him past teammate Alex Martin.
“It’s definitely not easy [to win],” Webb said. “The Nationals are not easy. It got rough in that second moto. We all had good starts, so I figured it was going to be a battle. And it was. Everyone was riding well, and I knew they’d be right there. We’re all going fast, and everyone wants to win, so it’s not like you’re going to dominate. Luckily, I was able to get it done today.”
Maybe, but Webb was already in position to claim the overall win before then, however, as the struggles continued for Lucas Oil 250cc series points leader Joey Savatgy at RedBud.
The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider put himself in an excellent position to collect his fifth win of the year after battling Webb down to the wire in Moto 1 and then taking the early lead in Moto 2 before a pair of crashes derailed his bid for the overall win. Instead of finishing first or second, Savatgy dropped to seventh overall. Worse yet for Savatgy, he lost the Lucas Oil 250cc Pro Motocross Championship series points lead.
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s pulled the holeshot in Moto 1, but Webb and Yamalube/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Jeremy Martin also got off to clean starts. Webb quickly caught Forkner, but the Kawasaki rookie wasn’t about to go away quietly, and the two riders swapped the lead for the rest of the opening lap, trading the lead four times while Savatgy moved into third place.
Webb put Forkner away early on lap two and began to pull clear of the field while Forkner came under pressure from Savatgy, who moved into second place on lap two. Forkner would also come under attack from the Martin brothers, Jeremy and Alex Martin ultimately losing positions to both riders and dropping to fifth place. Alex then passed Jeremy for third place.
Savatgy was able to reel-in Webb late in the moto, but Webb saved his best for last by turning-in his fastest lap of the race on the last to take the win by 1.5 seconds. Alex Martin was third. Jeremy Martin fourth and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne also displaced Forkner to finish fifth.
Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM’s Shane McElrath scored the second-moto holeshot, but Savatgy quickly took over the lead with McElrath second and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Martin Davalos third. Webb, meanwhile was fifth. Alex Martin then Webb and also passed Davalos for third. That motivated Webb, and he also passed Davalos to move into fourth place.
Savatgy was clearly in the driver’s seat, but he then low-sided in a right-hand corner, handing the lead back to McElrath and losing several positions in the process. He would remount in fifth place. McElrath wasn’t able to hold the lead for long, however, as he crashed two laps later, allowing Alex Martin to take over the point.
Yamaha then ran one-two-three as Alex Martin led Webb and Jeremy Martin. Jeremy Martin was able to get past Webb for second place on lap five, only to crash two laps later, dropping to eighth place. That allowed Webb to move back into second and dropped Martin to eighth.
Savatgy’s troubles continued as he attempted to work his way back into contention. Savatgy crashed heavily off a jump on lap 11, and he needed several seconds to regroup before re-entering the race outside the top 10. Savatgy would drop back even farther in the field before coming back to 16th place by the finish.
Webb already had the overall win in the bag by then. All he had to do was follow Alex Martin to the finish line to collect his second consecutive round win. However, Webb still had more in the tank, and he shot past Alex Martin on lap 13 and led the remaining four laps to the checkered flag to collect his first career Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship 1-1 sweep. Alex Martin also lost the runner-up spot in the moto to a flying Osborne. Alex Martin still finished second overall on the strength of his 3-3 moto finishes, while Osbornes 5-2 netted third overall.
Webb’s fifth Lucas Oil 250cc overall win, combined with Savatgy’s woes, meant a 23-point swing in the series standings. Webb not only leads the series for the first time in his career, he now carries a healthy 11-point lead over Savatgy. Jeremy Martin, who finished fourth overall (4-4), is third, 34 points behind Webb.
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will kick off the second half of the 2016 season next weekend at The Wick 338 in Southwick, Massachusetts, which will host the the 36th running of the Red Bull Southwick National, marking the first time that the series has visited the fabled sand track since 2013. The race is scheduled for Saturday, July 9.
2016 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
RedBud National
RedBud MX
Buchanan, Michigan
Results: July 2, 2016 (Round 6 of 12)
250cc Overall
1. Cooper Webb, Newport, NC, Yamaha (1-1)
2. Alex Martin, Millville, MN, Yamaha (3-3)
3. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, VA, Husqvarna (5-2)
4. Jeremy Martin, Millville, MN, Yamaha (4-4)
5. Shane McElrath, Canton, NC, KTM (9-5)
6. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, FL, Kawasaki (7-8)
7. Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, GA, Kawasaki (2-16)
8. Austin Forkner, Richards, MO, Kawasaki (6-10)
9. Arnaud Tonus, Switzerland, Kawasaki (11-6)
10. Mitchell Oldenburg, Alvord, TX, KTM (8-9)
2016 Lucas Oil 250cc Pro Motocross Championship Series Points Standings (after 6 of 12 rounds)
1. Cooper Webb- 243/2 overall wins/4 moto wins
2. Joey Savatgy-232/3 overall wins/5 moto wins
3. Jeremy Martin-209/2 moto wins
4. Alex Martin-198/1 overall win
5. Zach Osborne-190
6. Austin Forkner-164
7. Aaron Plessinger-152
8. Shane McElrath-124
9. Mitchell Oldenburg-117
10. RJ Hampshire-113
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