A second-place finish by Cooper Webb in round 11 of the 2023 AMA Supercross Championship has kept the two-time champion right in 450SX title contention following Seattle, as teammate Aaron Plessinger claimed P7 and Maximus Vohland delivered a top-five result in the resumption of the 250SX West region.
Despite qualifying down the order in ninth, Webb starred in his Heat race to take take the checkered flag in P1, taking control from the outset on his way to the win onboard the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. He completed lap one of the Main Event in fifth position, and powered forward from there, making his way into second by lap 11 and that's where he would finish. He's now tied for the points lead with six rounds remaining.
Cooper Webb: "I didn't gel very well with the track in practice at all, struggled to find a flow, and knew that for the night show, it was time to step up. The Heat race gave me a bit of a spark to know that we were in it, which was good to win that, and I knew the track was going to break down – that's something that I excel at. It was definitely good to bounce back. This morning, if you were to tell me I was going to be on the podium I would have been quite happy, so to be able to fight like that to P2 and stay within the battle was awesome."
Plessinger was also a big improver between qualifying – in which he stopped the clocks in P12 – and the night program, charging to second position in Heat 1 riding his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. Unfortunately, a bad start saw him complete the first lap of the Main Event in 10th position and he had to work his way up the order from there, eventually crossing the line with a seventh-place result. He's also still ranked P7 in the 450SX standings.
Aaron Plessinger: "It was an okay day. Practice was tough, I've got a pretty good gash in my leg from last week that was hurting me pretty good, but I tried to push through it. The Heat race was better, I had a good battle with Christian [Craig] in that to end up second. I had a bad start in the Main Event, and ended up moving into seventh about halfway, but after that, it was pretty quiet. I stayed on two wheels though and now we get a week off, so hopefully I can let my body heal and come back swinging for the upcoming Triple Crown!"
Following an extended break for the western region, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 250SX talent Vohland was back in action at Seattle and impressed with a fifth-place finish on return. Vohland rode his KTM 250 SX-F to ninth on the charts in qualifying, followed by P5 scores in both his Heat and the Main Event after working his way through the pack into his final fifth-place result.
Maximus Vohland: "It was a good night in Seattle! I started off the heat race with a top-five, which I was happy with, but felt I could be better with a few changes ahead of the Main Event. We changed the bike set-up and I felt a lot better, started around 10th and made my way up to fifth in the end. It was a tough track tonight, so I’m happy with a top-five finish and am now looking forward to improving on that at the Triple Crown in Glendale."
Next Race: April 8 – Glendale, Arizona
Results 450SX Class – Seattle
1. Eli Tomac (USA), Yamaha, 23 laps
2. Cooper Webb (USA), KTM, +4.798
3. Justin Barcia (USA), GASGAS, +5.466
OTHER KTM
7. Aaron Plessinger (USA), KTM
10. Justin Hill (USA), KTM
12. Josh Hill (USA), KTM
20. Kevin Moranz (USA), KTM
Standings 450SX Class 2023 after 11 of 17 rounds
1. Eli Tomac, 248 points
2. Cooper Webb, 248
3. Chase Sexton, 226
OTHER KTM
7. Aaron Plessinger, 180
10. Justin Hill, 116
14. Josh Hill, 78
20. Kevin Moranz, 43
29. Marvin Musquin, 11
Results 250SX West Class – Seattle
1. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda, 18 laps
2. RJ Hampshire (USA), Husqvarna, +2.712
3. Cameron McAdoo (USA), Kawasaki, +3.215
OTHER KTM
5. Maximus Vohland (USA), KTM
12. Joshua Varize (USA), KTM
15. Derek Kelley (USA), KTM
16. Max Miller (USA), KTM
20. Kaeden Amerine (USA), KTM
Standings 250SX West Class 2023 after 5 of 9 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 127 points
2. RJ Hampshire, 104
3. Cameron McAdoo, 101
OTHER KTM
7. Maximus Vohland, 70
11. Derek Kelley, 53
19. Joshua Varize, 24
25. Max Miller, 10
31. Hunter Cross, 4
34. Kaeden Amerine, 3