Image: Octopi Media.

A disappointing night in Arlington for Justin Cooper saw the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider finish ninth overall, the result not what the 450SX rookie was ‘looking for’ in his first premier class Triple Crown event.

Posting the 14th quickest time in qualifying, Cooper rode to an 11-9-9 scorecard which saw him land another top 10 overall result, but the former 250SX West champion is clearly hungry for more as he continues to come to grips with the YZ450F.

“It was another tough one for me, but we kept pushing and made some progress throughout the night,” Cooper recalled. “Ninth wasn’t the result we were looking for, but it was another good learning experience in tricky conditions. We’ll just keep working.”

Cooper has now completed four rounds this year in what is his first season in 450SX, slated at the beginning of the year to contest select Supercross races with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing in the premier class. His best results came in his first two events of 2023, where he was P7 at both Houston and Tampa.