The AMA Supercross Championships in the United States wrapped up at the weekend with KTM’s Cooper Webb finally clinching the 450cc crown for 2021.
This 17th and final round inside Rice-Eccles Stadium, in Salt Lake City, Utah, was full of drama, even though Germany’s Ken Roczen (Honda) had only a slim chance of snatching away the title.
As the 2020 runner-up in Supercross, Webb missed most of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship due to a back injury and he even had a challenging start to 2021 with a ninth-place finish at the opening round.
However, in true champion’s form Webb spent the early part of the season chipping away at the points deficit, as he prepared for a strong comeback in the second half of the series.
The 25-year-old from North Carolina entered the final round with a comfortable 22-point advantage in the standings, but that didn’t slow the KTM ace when it came time for the gate to drop at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Webb delivered his eighth victory of the season with a masterful performance; the KTM racer concluded the 2021 series with his 13th podium from 17 races to secure the AMA Supercross 450SX class title, an FIM World Championship.
Frenchman Marvin Musquin furthered a remarkable night for the team as he delivered a strong runner-up performance to give Red Bull KTM Factory Racing back-to-back 1-2 podium sweeps in the final two races.
“It’s been a heck of a year with everything in the world going on, but we dug deep this year and stayed the course,” Webb said.
“It’s been an incredible journey, a hard-fought season with a lot of hard races but this is all worth it right here. Being a two-time champion is incredible and to get the win tonight is the cherry on top. I’m speechless, this is incredible.”
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