00:00It's interesting about that, and you worked with Eldon Baker.
00:02I mean, you're talking 10, maybe 11, 12 years of riders at the Baker's factory there in Florida
00:07training to try to beat Eli Tomac.
00:09But now he's part of the KTM organization, and he had a chance to ride there.
00:13It's amazing how well these puzzle pieces have fit together with this operation.
00:18It's been incredible.
00:19I will say one thing that I really admire about Eli is, you know, growing up, living in Colorado,
00:25really doing things his own way and away from everyone.
00:28And, you know, there's definitely been a trend the last several years of riding at these
00:33facilities, and it can be helpful in certain areas.
00:35But I still feel like there is a key element, and there is some validity to doing things
00:41on your own for certain riders.
00:45Well, it certainly worked out for him, an all-time legend.
00:48He now actually rides in Arizona quite a bit, built Supercross track not too far from here,
00:53about a half hour away, and that's his winter home.
00:55And then we'll go back to Colorado once the ground thaws there, probably about a month
01:00or so.
01:01So he's a local in many different ways, Tomac.
01:04But he's got Webb to deal with, Hunter Lawrence and more in this first 450 heat.
01:09Showdown time.
01:15450 heat one.
01:18Let's go.
01:20And Tomac rockets out of the gate.
01:23What an incredible view of that.
01:27A perfectly executed start by Eli Tomac.
01:31Just comes out of that gate, firing.
01:33Christian Craig and Hunter Lawrence battling for second.
01:38Craig, for the moment, has it.
01:39Oh, that feeling when you have a bike-linked full shot.
01:42Oh, what a pass Hunter Lawrence is going to make, most likely, by Christian Craig.
01:49Oh, that's tough, though, on Hunter.
01:51And Craig's going to hold him at bay.
01:52I spoke too early.
01:54I think that that inside line maybe needs to get grooved in a bit more.
01:59I think it'll be a bit more helpful in the main events.
02:05Hunter working on Craig.
02:07You got Cooper back there in fourth.
02:09And then Cooper Webb would be next in fifth.
02:14And the starts have been lights out.
02:16Wasn't perfect last week in the Triple Crown.
02:19But beyond that, Tomac has been great.
02:21Did you see Hunter Lawrence there?
02:24He's back in, slipping around and sliding on the whoops.
02:26Goes back to what Hayden Deegan was saying of how the track was a little slick.
02:32And Tomac already starting to pull away now from Craig and Lawrence.
02:36No surprise.
02:37I can tell you why.
02:38When we were down here watching these guys in practice earlier today,
02:41they are going so fast down that straightaway.
02:44And they're saying, whoa.
02:46You see that?
02:47Eli goes to accelerate out of that corner.
02:50And the berm gives way.
02:51That was a nice save.
02:52Bike steps out.
02:54He regroups.
02:56But there's a lot of time to be made up in that particular area, the braking zone.
03:01Some guys braking harder.
03:02Some guys kind of letting the bike naturally slow down.
03:05It's going to be fun to see who has that section mastered.
03:09Whoops right here.
03:12And Craig has always been strong in the whoops.
03:14Right in on that quad lock Honda.
03:16Not the full factory Honda team.
03:18But that is a little engine that could.
03:20They have been battling up front.
03:21He and his teammates.
03:22Oh, it looks like Cooper Webb around the outside of Justin Cooper.
03:25Number one makes the pass.
03:27Justin Cooper not setting much of a fight there.
03:32Giving way to his teammate.
03:34Probably the right thing to do.
03:37Webb dives to the inside on Lawrence, who cannot solve the 28.
03:41Cannot get Craig.
03:42Yeah, Craig riding extremely well right now early on in this heat race.
03:46That's the thing.
03:49You know, we talk about these longer lanes here and how big this floor is.
03:54Sometimes these longer lanes gives you an opportunity to get a good drive out of the corner
03:58and build some speed and momentum through these long lanes and potentially make a move.
04:04But it also, with these longer lanes, with it being a little bit more open,
04:09it makes it harder in a way to make a pass because everything isn't so jammed up.
04:14Oh, look at this inside line.
04:15Oh, Webb is flying right now.
04:17Made the move right here on Justin Cooper a lap ago.
04:20Can he get Hunter Lawrence?
04:23And Hunter wants Craig.
04:28But you can see, like Hunter, he just can't make a move.
04:32And when these tracks, what I was saying, gets opened up,
04:35it's harder to make a mistake because everything is just flowing so nice.
04:42Oh, look at it.
04:42I'm going to try this inside again.
04:45Jumped.
04:46I don't know if that's the line he intended.
04:48Can he make it work?
04:50No.
04:50Craig holds him off again.
04:53Oh, he's getting impatient now.
04:54Yep.
04:55Yes.
04:55Finally made the move.
04:56Yeah, he tried to make a nice pass.
04:59Try to take Christian's line away in the sand.
05:03Isn't able to do that.
05:04Christian defends a position.
05:07Then Hunter sneaks up underneath him.
05:10Craig had good starts last weekend, so they're getting, for sure,
05:14nose-dialed in on the Quad Lock Honda.
05:16Here comes Webb.
05:17Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing.
05:20Going to go for the big jump here, Webb.
05:22Let's see if Webb cuts to the inside.
05:24Wow.
05:24You called it.
05:25Yeah.
05:26I mean, when that opportunity opens up, love that move by Coop.
05:31He saw it coming from a mile away.
05:34Quick audible.
05:35Boom.
05:35Dives to the inside.
05:37Wastes no time.
05:39And his teammate, Justin Cooper, goes by Craig as well.
05:42Then it'll be March Banks, Nichols Hill, and Grant Harland.
05:45Last transfer spot.
05:46Look at Jake Coop.
05:48Cooper versus Cooper here.
05:51Justin Cooper able to make the move on Cooper Webb.
05:53Wow.
05:54Took Justin Cooper a couple laps to get going.
05:57It's going to be a drag race down this rhythm lane for that inside in the 90-degree corner.
06:03Cooper Webb isn't able to carry as much speed.
06:08Jake Coop's finding some good speed right here.
06:11Oh, but look at Webb in the whoops.
06:12Closes back up.
06:16And these guys have been working hard, both with the starts
06:19and a little bit in those whoops as well.
06:22I feel like they need still a little more in the start department,
06:26whether that's with electronics or what it is.
06:29But you go back to last year and the starts that they were getting,
06:32I would say I would bet that on average they were better than where they're at.
06:37But, you know, that's how things go.
06:39And I expect them to make some improvements in that area
06:44because of how crucial the starts are,
06:45especially this year with how stacked the field is
06:48and the depth of parity that we were talking about.
06:53So, Justin Cooper on a roll here, RC.
06:55Will, what are you hearing in the 32 camp?
06:57I'm just going back to Ricky's point there about the importance of the starts
07:00and why they've been practicing with Justin Cooper
07:03because history tells us he's a really good starter.
07:06And they just haven't been there.
07:07The starts haven't been there.
07:08And checking in with the team and just kind of trying to dig to the bottom of that a little bit,
07:11they said to me, honestly, this is a 250 to 450 thing.
07:15So, there's one thing having it dialed on the small bike,
07:19but when you move over to the big bike, the power, just everything about it,
07:22the weight of the bike, suddenly your technique has to change.
07:25And they said that's really where Justin Cooper has struggled.
07:28So, Ricky, he's obviously starting to fix this out.
07:30It's been a massive focus at the GoFund there during the week.
07:34But that's what they're looking at as to what's kind of complicated this process.
07:38Well, and looking at timing and scoring,
07:41Justin Cooper was the fastest guy on the track the last lap.
07:45He had a 57.9.
07:46Second was Eli at a 58.2.
07:48So, about three tenths quicker.
07:50He's definitely turned it up and has found his comfort zone.
07:55Yeah, but what about the contrast here?
07:56As you watch Tomac with a huge lead,
07:58we know that when it's usually a guy who succeeds best at the end of the night,
08:02but not the best to your performance here for the champ.
08:05JT, what about the three?
08:06Well, just thinking about the starts,
08:08I think somewhere a conversation has to be had about cable clutch versus hydraulic clutch.
08:12Because remember with Eli Tomac,
08:14that was the one non-negotiable factor to go to Red Bull KTM.
08:18He wanted a cable clutch.
08:20Guess what Justin Cooper has switched to?
08:21He's on a hydraulic clutch for the first time.
08:24You never know what the exact details are,
08:26but it has to be in the conversation.
08:29Yeah, I'm sure they've talked about it.
08:31Here comes Tomac.
08:32Like he has done so many times in the desert.
08:35He rolls.
08:37Great start.
08:38Big lead.
08:40And 2026 has just been fantastic so far for the number three.
08:44Good battle here.
08:45I told you Nichols has been riding better than people have noticed.
08:48Catching Marchbanks here at the end.
08:50But it is going to be Justin Cooper who you saw come across after Lawrence.
08:55Then Webb.
08:56Then Craig.
08:56Marchbanks holds off Nichols.
08:58You saw Justin Hill and Grant Harlan looking to go straight to the main from the Heat.
09:04And the ET3 train just keeps on rolling.
09:08Didn't win last week in Houston, but definitely showed a lot of speed.
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