The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team had a strong finish to the 2022 AMA Supercross Championship with 450SX riders Marvin Musquin and Cooper Webb finishing fifth and sixth, respectively, at the season finale in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Musquin matched his best qualifying position of the season in second, placing his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION as top seed in 450SX Heat 1. With a second-place start in the heat, Musquin raced behind teammate Webb for most of the race before charging into the lead with one lap to go.
In the Main Event, Musquin got shuffled back to eighth off the start and he went to work early on to make up for lost time. Catching up to Webb on lap six, Musquin put on a charge to overtake fourth halfway into the race and the Red Bull KTM duo continued to battle into the final stretch. With lapped traffic adding another element late in the race, Musquin kept his focus on the podium battle ahead and he fought all the way to the checkers, finishing a close fifth on the night.
With five podium finishes and one Triple Crown victory in 2022, Musquin came away with fourth overall in the 450SX Championship standings.
Marvin Musquin: “Obviously I wanted to finish on a high note but it was a tricky track. I was able to win the heat race, which was satisfying. In the main, I just wasn’t able to get up front. Off the gate, I was pretty far back and I got myself up to fifth but I spent a lot of energy trying to pass some guys and I lost some time. Overall, I’m happy with my season even though there were a lot of ups and downs. We were able to learn a lot with the bike and we still are. We can definitely be better but it was a learning year. The highlight of the season was winning the Triple Crown in St. Louis. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to do that at 32 years old, it’s special for me. I actually made up quite a bit of points in the championship and I was getting closer to getting third but they were strong and consistent. I’m healthy at the end of the season, I always want to do better, but I have to be happy with what I’ve accomplished.”
Webb had a great start to the night, capturing the 450SX Heat 1 holeshot aboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. He pushed hard to maintain the lead for the first six laps before getting overtaken by his teammate, Musquin, late in the race. Webb finished strong to carry a runner-up transfer into the final Main Event of the season.
Webb had another great jump off the line in the main, battling in the second-place position early on. He settled into the top-five battle, where he was joined by a hard-charging Musquin early on. After getting passed by his teammate, Webb continued to battle in a freight-train formation all the way to the end, claiming a hard-fought sixth at the finale.
With the exception of two rounds, the defending champion consistently scored inside the top-10 all season long, with four podium appearances in 2022.
Cooper Webb: “Today was a little bit better for me and the riding was pretty good. I was able to lead some laps in the heat and ended up second. I got a good start in the Main Event and it felt good to be up front. I made a few mistakes but I had a good fight all the way to the end. I ended the year healthy and at all 17 rounds, so we’ll re-group and get ready for next year and try to go after a championship.”
Results 450SX Class – Salt Lake City SX
1. Jason Anderson (USA), Kawasaki, 26 laps
2. Chase Sexton (USA), Honda, +02.364
3. Justin Barcia (USA), GASGAS, +10.187
OTHER KTM
5. Marvin Musquin (FRA), KTM
6. Cooper Webb (USA), KTM
15. Kevin Moranz (USA), KTM
20. Benny Bloss (USA), KTM
Standings 450SX Class 2022 after 17 of 17 rounds
1. Eli Tomac, 359 points
2. Jason Anderson, 350
3. Malcolm Stewart, 314
4. Marvin Musquin, 305
OTHER KTM
7. Cooper Webb, 278
18. Shane McElrath, 101
19. Aaron Plessinger, 97