Cooper Webb left the Los Angeles SuperMotocross round with more than just a points race to think about. After a race that turned tense between the Yamaha teammates, the former Supercross champion said he would do everything he could to make sure Haiden Deegan does not win the SMX title.
The incident came on a fast, largely one-line track at Dignity Health Sports Park after the surface was watered repeatedly during the day. At one point Deegan fell in the sand and Ken Roczen made contact with him. Later, at the end of the next rhythm lane, Deegan attacked up the inside, the Yamaha teammates came together and Webb went down.
Webb's frustration spills into the finale
Webb did not hide how he felt after the race. He said, “I was pissed,” and added, “I got one more race with this team and I’ll make hell sure he don’t win this thing, that’s for sure.” He also said, “He has no respect for anybody else,” and called the week ahead “interesting.”
That matters because Webb and Deegan are teammates, training partners and buddies, but the post-race tone suggested the clash will carry straight into next weekend’s triple-points finale. Webb also acknowledged the bigger picture, saying, “anything can happen with triple points.”
In the championship standings, Jorge Prado leads with 92 points. Hunter Lawrence and Deegan are tied 16 points back, while Webb sits 20 points from the lead. With one more race left, the final round will decide everything, and there is now an added layer of tension inside the team garage as well as at the front of the title fight.
Deegan apologizes after the contact
Deegan responded after the race by admitting he had ridden Webb “a little dirty” and apologized. Even so, the exchange made clear that the relationship between the two riders changed in a hurry once the race got physical.
The 250SMX round produced its own shake-up, with Julien Beaumer converting two holeshots into the round victory. Levi Kitchen, meanwhile, retained the championship lead in the 250SMX standings.
For Webb, the task is simple even if the situation is not: recover from the loss, regroup during the week and arrive at the triple-points finale ready for one more race. After what happened in Los Angeles, the title race now has a personal edge to go with the points pressure.
