Unfortunately for Justin Cooper, the new pointing out rules for Monster Energy Supercross weren’t in effect for his 2022 campaign.
After winning the 2021 250SX West Region title, Cooper suffered a badly broken foot prior to the 2022 season and missed all of Supercross.
This also meant Cooper was forced to move to the 450 Class in Supercross. We heard that Cooper may skip Supercross entirely this season, but the Monster Energy/Yamaha Star Racing team confirmed today that Cooper will race “select” rounds of Monster Energy Supercross in the 450 Class before switching to the 250 for Pro Motocross. (There are not pointing out rules in Pro Motocross).
“It’s been a good off-season. We took some time off after RedBud (Motocross of Nations) before getting back to grinding away. I got on the 450 a few weeks ago to try and get my feet wet there and learn the bike. There’s a lot to adapt to, but the process has been fun. I enjoy riding the 450. I’ve always felt like I’ve been a better 450 rider, and I’m looking forward to racing it. It’s a new group of guys, and obviously, the power delivery is different from a 250, so there are going to be a lot of things to get used to, but I’m ready for it. I’m just looking to get my feet wet and learn the bike, learn the class, and get the experience. I think that’s the most valuable thing right now.”
Main image: Yamaha