Cooper Webb on dealing with the pressure to take vital Pittsburgh win

It might be pivotal the win that ultimately gives Cooper Webb the 2025 AMA supercross title, as long as he podiums the final two races if Chase Sexton wins, but it did not come easy! Webb led the entire race but had Sexton right there the whole time pressuring the points leader all main for the win. If Sexton won in Pittsburgh and then won the final two races? He wins the title. The race was huge and a massive six point swing for the most prestigious title in the sport. This was everything.

A stubborn Webb refused to let that scenario play out, demonstrating will plus mistake free skill and determination to never give in under immense pressure with a title on the line. Yet again, Cooper Webb made it happen. Now, he is on the cusp of being a three-time AMA supercross champion but even he admitted he felt the the pressure!

Webb said in his TV interview: “I’m just stoked on myself to rebound after last week to pull the holeshot and lead every lap with that kind of pressure. Man, it’s not easy to do.“

And elaborated in the post-race press conference: “It wasn’t easy, but it was much needed. I think we both knew the start was going to be inevitable and key to the race, and you could kind of, I don’t say control the race, but it was hard to pass. So, unless you’re going extremely aggressive, I felt like it was very hard to pass tonight, and I felt good. I kind of stuck to my game plan of jumping the whoops.

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“And just, you know, it’s tough. Like, it’s easy to look back at the race and go, oh, man, it was well executed, but there’s a lot of pressure. There’s a lot of little mistakes you’re making that you’re trying to adjust If, you know, you feel like you get caught, you’re trying to make a change, but you don’t know what to change.

“So it was really a mentally tough main event. You know, I think we were truly going for it, and at least from my end, I feel like we were both in a position where we wanted that win bad and I think we both showed up.“

And even classy Chase Sexton had to give credit to Webb’s ability under pressure: “I didn’t really make too many mistakes, and it was just a dog fight. I put a lot of pressure on Coop, and normally, I think everybody I’ve raced has made mistakes under that pressure, and he didn’t, and that goes to show just how good mentally he is and how good of a rider and racer he is.“

But Webb loves a mind game and said of his “Who’s the daddy” gesture after the main event: “I had to switch it up, man. I got finger bangs, so you got to come up with something new, right? But, you know, I think at the end of the day, there’s tension and there’s rivalry right now, but I do have a lot of respect for Chase, and always have. I think we’re some of the best that will ever do it in this sport, is my personal opinion, the generation we have right now. So, a lot of respect, but I definitely want to kick his ass.”