00:01How the night unfolds for Cooper Webb because you can't count him out of it either. This man here, Chase
00:07Sexton, is not too far from his home in Illinois where he grew up. What are his memories of this
00:12place?
00:13I think St. Louis was when Chad took out James in the elevator turn too. I think that was here.
00:19I was sitting right there. So I saw the whole thing and I'm a huge, I was a huge Chad
00:24fan and he was pretty much my hero growing up so I was all wrapped up to that.
00:28But yeah, a lot of good memories here and hope to add some more tomorrow.
00:33He didn't like that night, that's for sure. Definitely James and Chad gave me a gift from Santa Claus. They
00:41were getting into it with each other. They went down, last win. This was it for me.
00:47Again, Chad and Bubba getting into it and pretty uneventful dub for me. But man, I loved racing this racetrack.
00:55Look at the dirt. Looks about the same. Less sticky that year. But just always loved coming to the Midwest.
01:00The fans were always so nice.
01:02When you see images like this, great memories, good feelings. Great memories, but it also makes me feel very old.
01:10Supercross has come a long way. You just look at it. This track is so buttoned up.
01:17Just saw the overall all-time wins list there. Ken Rockson with that win last week goes to 25. Just
01:23two behind Bob Hanna, three behind Ricky Johnson.
01:27So he's operating in rarefied air as well. Tonight is the special St. Jude night. I'm going to talk about
01:34that more as the evening goes on.
01:364.50, heat one, let's go. Who gets the jump? Webb's looking pretty good. Justin Cooper's looking even better. Justin
01:44Cooper's going to get the hole shot.
01:46Oh, Sexton goes down. He was getting beaten up. Guy's hitting him and ran in the back of somebody's rear
01:55tire. I watched that whole thing happen. Great job by Justin Cooper, though, getting that lead.
02:00And man, like every single year, I feel like he gets stronger as the season goes on.
02:09He's a teammate right behind him. Really good start from Shane McElrath. Joey Savace, his teammate, leaps into the scene
02:17as well.
02:17Cooper almost loses it in that corner, pushes the front. They took a different line through that rhythm lane as
02:23well. Great to see Joey back. Joey had a great finish last week.
02:28Teammate on teammate here. Let's go back. Keep your eyes on bike number four.
02:31Yeah, so he gets a good jump out of the gate and then starts to go to the right a
02:36little bit. Probably had to pull the clutch, but this is where it starts to go.
02:38His teammate runs into him. He goes sideways. Then watch when he cuts back to the left. Boom. Goes down.
02:46Hits the back tire of Jeremy Hand. Nothing he could do there.
02:51So back to it. We'll see what kind of comeback that Chase Sexton can build. He's in 12th at the
02:57moment.
02:57Look at this. Teammate on teammate. Justin Cooper in search of his first heat win of the season.
03:03While Cooper Webb wants to build on that qualifying speed and feel good going into the main event here at
03:10a place where he's never won.
03:12Yeah, there's the dip. Oh, that's the rhythm lane I was telling you that they were doing different compared to
03:17the practice. JT.
03:20I'm watching Justin Cooper here, and he's been progressing, you know, just off the podium last weekend there.
03:26One of the things that's not talked about a lot is Justin Cooper's looking for a contract for 2027 and
03:31beyond.
03:31So rides like this, proving that he can get to the front.
03:35You think about that race when he got at the Triple Crown in Indianapolis.
03:38They are so pivotal to prove to the decision makers that this is a guy that can win races in
03:44the future, and he deserves to remain on factory equipment.
03:46Again, JT, you talk about that. Remember, the regular season, he was top position.
03:53He went in the number one seed of the playoffs last year.
04:02He's got the one podium on the season so far this year.
04:06But, you know, just think back to last season.
04:08In the second half is when Justin Cooper really tagged the prominence.
04:12Well, and he started battling for heat race wins.
04:14He's battling for pole position and qualifying practice and podiums and the names.
04:19And I think he's doing better than last year because, quite frankly, I believe that the field is more stacked
04:26this season.
04:27Yeah, it was quite depleted through injury last year, for sure.
04:32Really good quad-long ponder scrap here between Shane McElratt and Joey Savace.
04:38Let's dig deeper into these guys and specifically Savace.
04:41JT?
04:42Yeah, it's incredible.
04:43Let's think back to India.
04:44We saw Joey ride off the racetrack in a lot of pain.
04:47And we weren't really sure what happened, that he misses the Birmingham round.
04:50And we started to get more information as he was back for Detroit.
04:54He's out there racing with a broken bone, and it's just behind his big toe.
04:59Speaking to some medical professionals this week about the pain involved in that.
05:02So you see him chasing here and putting pressure on McElratt.
05:05Can't be all that comfortable out there for the number 17 while he's doing it.
05:11Bottom box.
05:13Comeback update on Chase Sexton.
05:15So he's worked his way up into the top five.
05:18Nice comeback.
05:19And then there you go.
05:20Savace makes the pass on his teammate, McElratt.
05:24Great to see McElratt up here fighting.
05:26Haven't seen him up front in a while.
05:28So another guy that brings a lot of speed and was once a title contender in the 250 division.
05:36How big a deal, RC, did you think that podium was for Chase Sexton last week?
05:40Coming back, it was nice to hear some freshness in his voice, some excitement.
05:46And he comes straight back after missing several rounds after that practice crash.
05:50Puts it on the box.
05:51He said he was a little gassed.
05:54He needed some more race fitness.
05:57And for an elite athlete like him, it's always strange to hear stuff like that.
06:01But feeling good, feeling better this week.
06:03And we'll see what he can do in tonight's main.
06:06Yeah, great boost, not only for him, for that race team and everybody involved.
06:11It hasn't been that great, that easy of a season, some tough times.
06:15And to come back and get on that podium really, honestly, is no surprise.
06:20I mean, Chase is that good of a rider, an athlete, who's a job well done.
06:26Like you said, especially sitting off a few weeks with an injury that he couldn't really ride
06:30because of the severity of the injury.
06:32And there he is.
06:33Man, he is making up a lot of time.
06:35Second fastest rider on the track.
06:37Last lap at a 56.1.
06:39Look at him coming here.
06:40Look at him flying up on the quad lock Honda Duo.
06:43Threading the needle.
06:44McElrath could hear him coming.
06:46You saw Shane look around.
06:47And that Monster Energy Kawasaki is flying.
06:51This ought to give him some good confidence.
06:54These guys that he's passing aren't easy to pass.
06:57They're incredible riders.
06:58So this goes to show you how well Chase is doing.
07:08Almost out of time.
07:0930 seconds plus a lap to go.
07:11Justin Cooper still leads the way.
07:14And look at this.
07:15The teammates are fighting over the final transfer position.
07:21Well, you got Grant Harlan in front of the boss man, Kevin Moran.
07:24So let's see what happens here.
07:26You think Kevin's going to play nice and let his rider transfer before he does?
07:32Ain't no way.
07:35These guys are so, they're stuck together.
07:38Not only in this race, but in the championship.
07:41Harlan is 22nd.
07:42Here goes Chase Sexton.
07:45Putting a move.
07:46Trying to put a move on Joey Savace.
07:48Oh, did you see that?
07:50Joey cross ruts on the takeoff for that triple out.
07:55That was an incredible save by Joey.
07:58Final lap.
07:59And at the moment, Grant Harlan has the upper hand on Kevin Moran's.
08:05These guys are 22nd and 23rd in the championship.
08:08They both have the same best result.
08:11And now they're fighting over that final transfer position.
08:14Meanwhile, first heat race of this 2026 season.
08:19This all feel good for Justin Cooper.
08:20I mean, I was paying attention to the other battles.
08:23I mean, this was a great performance by Justin Cooper.
08:27I mean, kind of a surprise when you consider that the three-time Supercross
08:31and defending Monster Energy Supercross Tramp right behind him.
08:36Great job by Justin Cooper.
08:38And he looks pretty comfortable because he has almost a four-second buffer over Cooper Webb.
08:44This is it.
08:45He'll turn right and head to home.
08:47Justin Cooper wins.
08:48Heat one of the 450s.
08:50It's nicely done.
08:51The teammates continue to go at it aboard the champion tool storage KTMs.
08:58Grant Harlan, Kevin Moran's.
09:02And Grant has the upper hand.
09:05Grant's got to grease this rhythm section.
09:08If he does, it is game over.
09:12Oh, he overjumps that.
09:13He's got to guard the inside, which he'll do it.
09:16When we get to the LCQ, we'll tell you an interesting story about Kevin Moran's.
09:20He's about to become a TV star, big time.
09:22And not in sport television either.
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