Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb concluded the 2021 AMA Supercross 450SX Championship season with a dominating victory aboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION at the final round in Salt Lake City, Utah at the beginning of May to clinch his second, and KTM’s fifth crown in the ultra-competitive series.
Widely recognized for his grit and determination to win, Webb has overcome his share of adversity since earning his first 450SX title in 2019. As the 2020 runner-up in Supercross, Webb missed most of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship due to a back injury and he even had a challenging start to 2021 with a ninth-place finish at the opening round. However, in true champion’s form Webb spent the early part of the season chipping away at the points deficit, as he prepared for a strong comeback in the second half of the series. The 25-year-old from North Carolina entered the final round with a comfortable 22-point advantage in the standings, but that didn’t slow the KTM ace when it came time for the gate to drop at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Webb delivered his eighth victory of the season with a masterful performance; the KTM racer concluded the 2021 series with his 13th podium from 17 races to secure the AMA Supercross 450SX class title, an FIM World Championship. Marvin Musquin furthered a remarkable night for the team as he delivered a strong runner-up performance to give Red Bull KTM Factory Racing back-to-back 1-2 podium sweeps in the final two races.
From the last seven seasons, KTM has taken the prestigious AMA Supercross 450SX title on five occasions along with two closely fought runner-up results. The Austrian manufacturer is proud to again demonstrate its READY TO RACE philosophy with this latest success.
Cooper Webb: “It’s been a heck of a year with everything in the world going on, but we dug deep this year and stayed the course. It’s been an incredible journey, a hard-fought season with a lot of hard races but this is all worth it right here. Being a two-time champion is incredible and to get the win tonight is the cherry on top. I’m speechless, this is incredible.”
Ian Harrison – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “This season I think was Cooper’s strongest season – he got his most wins, and the competition was really tough, but he just fought his way through there. What a fighter, he was exceptionally strong at the end of all the races, and he put up a battle with so many guys on the last lap and came out victorious many times. Once we got to round four, he really found his groove and then he took command of the points lead around the middle of the season and there was no looking back. It was truly an amazing season, and it was awesome to be a part of it. Our team, everybody involved, they all did exactly what they needed to and more and we delivered, so I’m super happy.”
Roger De Coster – Director of Motorsports, North America: “There have been many great champions over the years but when it comes to race craft and the really deep desire to win, Cooper is special and he ranks at the very top. Even when it was not necessary to win today – he could have just rode around and 18th would have been sufficient – but he decided he wanted to win the race and it was very impressive how he ended the season. The guy has so much heart, he keeps impressing me time after time and I’m really thankful for that. I’m also thankful for the people that make this possible because of course the rider is the biggest factor in this sport by a long margin, but there are also a lot of people that make this possible that have influence and make a difference in getting there. Especially the people in Austria, also Slovenia with Akrapovic and then all the people in the U.S. like WP Suspension, Carlos (Cooper’s mechanic) and so many other people that have something to do with this championship. I’m just thankful to still be a part of it and witness this awesome racing.”
Robert Jonas - Vice President Motorsports Offroad: “It has been an incredible Supercross season. Cooper fought back to find some impressive consistency week after week and was able to deliver victories when it mattered most to take his second AMA Supercross 450SX Championship. It is KTM’s fifth championship victory in the category and our KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION is proven once again. I’d like to congratulate Cooper and the entire Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team for all of their success in what has been another intense season. Thanks also goes to everyone involved in achieving this victory - including those back at the factory in Austria, KTM R&D, KTM North America and to all of our partners. It’s great for us to be able to reflect on such a memorable season and celebrate this special achievement together.”
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team will take a few weeks off from racing as they gear up for the 2021 AMA Pro Motocross Championship, which is set to begin on Saturday, May 29 in Pala, California.
