GRIT 313 — 450SX — 2nd — Justin Cooper

With the final stop of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship unfolding inside Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday, the fans of Utah seemed charged with an immense blend of anticipation and excitement. Each athlete knew that this was going to be their last time to make a statement within the Supercross realm for the current season. Thus, the amount of pressure which covered the canvas seemed to be extremely high...though the talented, Justin Cooper, believed that he could thrive amongst these circumstances. For practice, Cooper would attack the Salt Lake City layout with immense determination, focusing with the utmost effort on studying the steep whoops that stretched along the outside lane of the stadium floor. His patented jump-line of sorts, could be in use amongst the latter stages of the night-show...but for now, these moguls were peaked - and he would have to create various game-plan(s) to try and attack them. The right-handed berm thereafter was comprised of a bit of sand and technical rollers which swayed from start to finish. That section alone would demand precise throttle control, an optimal gear range, along with pristine body positioning if one wanted to excel en route to the finish line Ultimately, Justin would work methodically lap by lap, refining his lines as the water which was once blended into the soil seemingly began to evaporate amongst the latter afternoon hours. After beginning the opening heat race (i.e. Heat One), just behind Chase Sexton and Jorge Prado, Cooper would stalk the two aforementioned competitors with a rapid pace of his own. He was steadfast of the front-runners while residing in the third-place standing...and though he couldn't topple the illinois native or the Spanish competitor who was ahead, it was Justin's consistency which ultimately propelled him to third-place in the final standings. The ride, in totality was admirable, and gave him a solid gate choice for the forthcoming main event. The final stage of this 450SX quest could be categorized as an absolute war from start to finish.

Knowing, that the championship implications (between Ken Roczen and Hunter Lawrence) were of the highest stakes, Cooper believed that he could weave his way to the front of the pack, upon clicking into gear when behind the starting gate. Justin would begin the trek to the finish Line in a standing of eighth, while pulling tear-off's, with his sights set forward - vowing to move forward with a determined rhythm. His stance through the moguls rippled with authority. Though he remained light on the front end (hopping amongst the trench that had been formed) and constantly carried impressive speed across the mounds of the far side of the track. Multiple side-by-side battles with adversaries were ofter showcased around the canvas. Though even when bar to bar with rivals such as Justin Barcia, Dylan Ferrandis, and Oregon's Justin Hill, he remained focused on the path forward...while also gaining a position due to the mistakes from Hunter Lawrence. Much of the topsoil had now been tossed to the side of the racetrack and many athletes were forced to garner traction amongst hard-packed areas. And even as fatigue would begin to set in during the latter stages, his experience and sheer willpower kept him motivated and propelling forward toward the checkered flag. For a large chunk, of the final quarter, it appeared as if Cooper were going to reside in fourth. However, with minimal time remaining, he sensed that Ken Roczen and Jorge Prado (who were ahead) were beginning to fade. At once, Cooper pounced - leaping through the sand with just over two laps left! He would surpass both, Jorge and Ken to claim second.. which was sustained with a triumphant effort, at the checkered flag!