Interview: Looking ahead to 2024 Supercross with Justin Cooper

On January 6, the 50th season of Monster Energy Supercross will launch at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif. Running in that 450cc class will be Justin Cooper of the Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha organization. The 2021 AMA Pro Racing 250SX West champion, Cooper graduates to the premier 450SX division where he will match wheels with the world's top supercross racers in the world.

During an abbreviated 450cc Supercross run in 2023 where he placed in the top 10 in the Houston, Tampa, Oakland, Arlington and Daytona main events, Cooper is eager to show he has everything it takes to run up front on a full-time basis.

JC: I’m in Tallahassee. We moved here about two years ago and this is home base now. We moved from California and, yeah, we’re trying it over here now. It’s good. It seems like a culture shock. It’s the complete opposite of Southern California and it’s like taking a step back and it kind of gives you a different outlook on life, to be honest. Everything is just at a different pace over here. You have time to focus on things that you wouldn’t have to focus on there. Down here in Tallahassee, it’s pretty laid back. I enjoy it. I think it’s a good change of pace for now.

Q: Heading into the 2024 Monster Energy Supercross season with 450cc champions Eli Tomac and Cooper Webb as teammates puts you in a very powerful position as a class rookie.

JC: Yeah, it’s pretty surreal, to be honest. With how successful they are as 450 racers, it’s just good to have them around and I feel like kind of feed off their energy. It’s been good. I haven’t been able to train with Tomac that much, but me and Cooper have been able to push each other for a while now. We’ve had a few months of it, so  it’s been good learning the bike and kind of relying on him and the team to see what changes and improvements we can make.

JC: Yeah, we know each other. My first year pro he was on Yamaha, so we got to know each other a little bit then. Now that we’re back on the same team, we’ve been able to catch up. Cooper is pretty quiet and serious and I kind of look up to him in that aspect. You know, maybe he's not the fastest guy all the time, but he's gonna fight. He’ll always be there at the end. So, it's definitely a good trait to have. And yeah, I like to think of myself as a fighter When things aren’t going my way, I'm definitely going to try to just put in as much effort as I can and not give up until the end.

JC: It was a good steppingstone, you know? I didn't really want to commit to the whole series, but at the same time, I had ridden the 450 a little bit going into the season and I didn't want to just get into race shape and then not do anything. There were a good couple of races where I could kind of learn the class and learn the competitors and just learn the bike and the track conditions. It was a good learning curve for me and I am going to lean back on that to help me in my first full year, for sure. Everyone's really mature in the class and everyone's super talented and super-fast, so the competition's a lot more stiff. But at the end of the day what really caught me off guard was the track conditions and the length of main event. The tracks were definitely beat up.

Q: How about the bigger and more powerful 450cc motorcycle? How do you feel on it?

JC: It can definitely make you lazy. The bike makes everything a lot easier, rhythm wise. It's a lot heavier, though. It definitely takes more strength and you know when the track gets beat up, it definitely doesn't become any easier. I would say the bike is easier on a fresh track but you know once it gets chewed up and stuff, it definitely starts getting tougher and you have to be careful because it’s a lot of weight moving under you. When you get tired at the end of the main events, it’s real important to keep the focus and keep the bike as straight as you can.

JC: Everything has been going really well. I took a little bit of time off after the last three SMX races. I got married and then I had the honeymoon, so took all of October off. Then I got right into it.at the beginning of November ad everything has been going really smooth. I've had a good off-season so far. Everything is just fine-tuning right now, putting in lot of laps. We have a long season ahead of us. I don’t want to come into 2024 too tired. I’m just trying to coast on in now.

JC: Yeah, we're all good and we’re all talented. We’re all past champions. I'm looking forward to it. I won [Anaheim] A1 before on the 250 side. I'm not looking to bring everything I have into A1. I'm looking to learn a lot and just want to get up front and be there, you know? I want to be in the fight. If I walk away with a top five, I'll be super happy with that. That would set me off to a good start in the season. It’s 17 rounds, so I’m looking to be there all season and to be battling up front with those guys and learning a lot.

JC: I think my goal for this year is to hit the podium multiple times in each series. In Supercross and motocross I would like to see the podium a few times, and if I get the chance at a win, I'm sure I'll be going for it. But yeah, I think a good place to start is definitely getting on the podium.

Yamaha has been doing a lot of work. I feel like it's a good place to start. I've been with the same people for a while now and it just makes the transition a little bit easier. I'm looking forward to getting information from Cooper.  Like I said, it's been fun riding with Cooper and kind of pushing each other day in and day out. It's definitely been good to have someone like Cooper to ride with, for sure.

JC: For sure. I mean the 250 was one thing, but now I feel like I’m doing it all over again. I’m going to make the most of it. It’s exciting and a good opportunity under underneath me so I’m really looking forward to getting out there, staying healthy and just doing the best I can.

I think I think my main focus is going to be on main event time when I know the track is going to be way different. I know it is going to be very important to be in your flow. It's kind of funny how it works. From first practice to the main event, you have got to be able to adapt all day.

There is really no pressure on me. I’ve had quite a few years with pressure. I am not saying that it's not good to not have pressure on me, but I can kind of do my own thing and not really worry about any certain expectations, you know? I’m excited to get the season underway. There is a lot of racing to do.