COOPER WEBB | GRIT-209 | 450SX

COOPER WEBB | GRIT-208 | 450SX

Cooper Webb knew the competition would be fierce in Tampa, and despite Eli Tomac and Chase Sexton surging forward with momentum, the KTM rider would confidently seek to obtain victory while rolling onto the raceway at Raymond James Stadium. For practice, he was a mainstay in the top-ten, leaping through the sand rollers with swift attributes that were light and promoted efficiency. He wouldn't override the circuit that was beginning to break down rather quickly, and used his vision to look for creative lines that would be beneficial in the night show that followed. His heat race, would be the first (of two) racing episodes on his itinerary; though his initial launch from the grate, was less than ideal as he aspired for a solid gate choice in the main event. Knowing that time was critical, he proceeded to pass as many riders as possible in the next nine laps; weaving through circuits with his KTM machine firing at the highest trajectory. Making his way to sixth (by lap five) he would stay here until the moto would conclude; creating a sense of determination that couldn't be nullified, for the main event on the horizon. Somehow, the North Carolina native would be able to obtain the hole-shot designation, though Chase Sexton immediately worked his way forward and would develop a significant gap between he and the number-two machine. Cooper wasn't one to become discouraged though, and proceeded to "chip away" at the lead that Chase had made as they went through the first corner of the moto and into the halfway point. The lead would stay rather lengthy, with Cooper beginning to press the issue and attack at a bit higher pace than what the track would allow. Subtle mistakes were now beginning to be made, and would accompany him past the twelve, thirteen, and fourteen minute mark(s). It was then, with around three minutes left on the clock, that Webb's "final surge" would nearly come to an immediate halt; with the KTM athlete swapping from side to side in the whoop section, almost flying into an outside tuff-block as a result! It seemed (at that point) that the momentum had shifted onto Sexton's behalf...until an unbelievable error would be undertaken by the Honda rider! A slight miscalculation (just near the eighteenth minute of action), would have Sexton off-course from a mistake that identical to Webb's! He'd crashed in the whoops, and had no way of returning to the lead by the time Cooper Webb had gotten there. Therefore the number two inherited the lead, and never looked back; staking his claim as the overall winner, and regaining significant momentum in the 2023 championship!

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