Justin Cooper enjoyed a good premier-class debut, finishing seventh at round four of the AMA Supercross championship at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, despite challenging conditions and a stacked 450 class.
Cooper continued to make progress throughout the day. He qualified 14th and finished seventh in the first 450 heat race, giving him a less-than-ideal gate pick. Undeterred, the New Yorker was 13th after the first lap and broke into the top 10 by Lap 3. The 2021 250SX West Champion kept his cool and ran his own race, making a last-lap pass to cross the line seventh.
“Yeah, it was good. We got better and better throughout the day,” Cooper said. “There is a lot of learning going on right now, so it’s great to get the first one out of the way. The goal was to be around the top 10, and we achieved that. I finished seventh and even made a last-lap pass and felt good toward the end of the race. I just felt like I had a good flow and wasn’t pushing over my head, but I wasn’t riding too slow, either. Everything came a lot easier for me in the main event, even though the track so was messed up. For my first 450 race, I’m just glad to click my laps off like that and be that consistent, and work my way through the pack. I’m looking forward to Tampa next weekend.”
Cooper will line up again in the 450SX class at round five in Tampa. Florida.
