Image: Octopi Media.

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing signing Cooper Webb intends to ‘come back swinging in January’ when the gates drop on Monster Energy Supercross 2024, coming off a podium result in Los Angeles.

Two-time 450SX champion Webb qualified third for the final round of the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) and worked his way forward from ninth on the first lap to finish fifth in the opening moto.

In race two, a better start saw Webb fifth in the early stages, before moving into P3 around the halfway point, where he would ultimately take the checkered flag to secure third overall on the night and fourth in the 450SMX Finals series standings.

A podium result in the SMX Finals comes as a boost for Webb entering the off-season, who was officially announced with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing just hours ahead of the opening playoff in Charlotte. The YZ450F rider is now firmly focused on arriving in form when 450SX commences in January at Anaheim 1.

“I got blindsided there in the beginning [of the playoffs] with the way the tracks were and stuff,” Webb recalled. “We were doing a lot of prep on Supercross and today was definitely the best I’ve ridden. For me, I got on the bike pretty much August 1, so did what we could with what we had, but you never know until we go racing.

“Once you race, you see the speed, how it develops. It was nice get to better, especially I think we improved a lot tonight, opposed to last week, so that was great, but I think for me, getting more laps in and working on the things we were missing. Like I said, it was good to be on the podium, but we are still a ways off. I’ll work on me, have a good boot camp and come back swinging in January.”

While a steep learning curve led to eighth overall in Charlotte, and Webb battled stomach issues to seventh at playoff two in Chicagoland, he has stressed the importance of getting those gate drops in to boost his preparation and performance ahead of what is to come next season.

“I think it was good to get some gate drops,” he continued. “We were maybe expecting some better results, toward those first two, but like I said, tonight was a little bit better. I think a lot of it is on me. Need to get fitter, I need to get stronger and you learn the bike as you race, right? So I think that’s what else, when you are at the practice track you feel unbelievable, you have that track down and then you come to the race and it’s a lot different.

“I think it’s just getting some different scenarios, and like I said, racing the guys, seeing the speed. I feel like I am a visual learner, and racing definetely teaches you a lot. I think we will work on some of those things I need to work on, and we will be in a good spot. Me and Eli [Tomac] are going to plan on riding a lot together this off-season actually, so we will see how it all works out.”