After struggling to finish seventh in the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross points, Cooper Webb will return to Red Bull KTM Racing through the 2023 season, giving him an opportunity to score a third championship with the team.
Joining KTM in 2019, Webb found immediate success, winning his first 450 race in Round 3 at Anaheim that season. He followed that up with another seven wins that season, which was capped off with his first championship by 18 points over Eli Tomac.
He failed to back up his title in 2020, this time losing to Tomac by 25 points, but Webb’s second-place ranking in the points kept the momentum intact as he rolled into 2021.
Webb won his second title that year in a fiercely contested battle with Ken Roczen and he entered this season determined to win consecutive titles. Despite Roczen keeping the pressure on, Webb scored eight wins that season.
That did not happen, as Webb struggled with KTM for the first time since they joined together.
A new bike design put him on the podium just four times. None of these were victories. There was also internal conflict at the team as Webb tried to prove that he was doing all he could do on that new bike.
“It has been a hell of a journey these past four seasons,” Webb wrote on Instagram. “KTM Factory Racing believed in me when not a lot of people did. It feels a lot like 2019 again. Excited to be back with KTM for 2023.”
Since joining KTM, Webb has accumulated 19 450SX wins, tying him with Damon Bradshaw for 12th on the all-time wins’ list.
To prepare for the 2023 Supercross season, Webb decided to skip the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season, which just completed its Round 4.
In the press release from Red Bull KTM, Webb said: “I am excited to continue my relationship with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team and I’m really looking forward to going after a third AMA 450 Class Supercross Championship together next season.”
