For most of a decade, Monster Energy Supercross was about some guy named Ryan winning another championship. Four for Villopoto, four for Dungey. Then, with the Ryans off to retirement, the class got weird. Or at least less predictable.
Not many people predicted Jason Anderson would win the title in 2018 and few picked Cooper Webb to win it all in 2019. (For that matter, nobody predicted that the first two races in 2019 would be won by Justin Barcia and Blake Baggett, two riders who played virtually no role in the championship chase afterwards.) When we ran our Supercross season preview last year at RevZilla, Red Bull KTM Factor Racing’s Cooper Webb got a single mention in a section about the dark horses who could win the title. But win he did, taking the title by 18 points over Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Eli Tomac.
Former 250 champ Cooper Webb got on a KTM in 2019 and proved himself in the 450 class. KTM photo by Richard Shepherd.
It wasn’t a horrible oversight that Cooper Webb didn’t get a lot of attention coming into last season. After winning the 250 West title in 2015 and 2016, he moved up to the 450 class on a Yamaha and suffered two unremarkable seasons. Webb had drifted from the spotlight, a rising star now somewhat overlooked. But once he got on a Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F in 2019, he found the confidence he needed to win races and, more importantly, finish consistently.
Consistency wins Supercross titles, injuries lose them
Ryan Dungey was the epitome of consistency and has the titles to prove it. In a sport where someone is always injured and a disastrous finish is always as close as one cross-rutted error, Dungey went an amazing three seasons without finishing worse than fourth.
That also explains Webb’s success in 2019. The few times he wasn’t on the podium, he was lurking nearby. When he got a bad start, he still salvaged a fine haul of points.
If you accept that speed grabs the spotlight but consistency wins Supercross titles, then it’s easier to understand the biggest mystery in the sport today: Why has Eli Tomac not won a Supercross championship? Outdoors, he’s won three straight Lucas Oil Pro Motocross titles. He’s won lots of Supercross races, more than any other active rider except super-veteran Chad Reed. More often than anyone else in the field, he is the fastest guy on the track. Somehow, year after year, that doesn’t add up to having the most points when they turn off the lights in May in Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas.
Eli Tomac is the fastest guy on the track, more often than anyone else, but that has not translated into Supercross championships. Kawasaki photo.
Tomac actually improved his consistency in 2019, but not quite as much as Webb, and despite finishing strong and winning three of the last four rounds, he couldn’t catch Webb.
The rider who finished third last year behind Webb and Tomac, Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin, will miss the entire season after suffering a knee injury in practice and undergoing surgery. A knee injury last year also put Musquin at a disadvantage, but he was able to race. This year, he won’t be back in action until the outdoor season starts in the summer.
Other riders, more questions
Meanwhile, 2018 champion Jason Anderson is a bit of a question mark because he missed most of the 2019 season after a practice injury. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider is a fan favorite, with a strong following on social media and putting out Team Fried videos and merchandise.
Then there’s the obvious question about Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen: After his injuries and surgeries, is he fit? There are hints that the German rider continues to battle with lingering health problems.
Adam Cianciarulo was five minutes away from winning the 250 West championship last year when he crashed in the final round at Vegas, handing the title to Dylan Ferrandis. This year, he moves up to the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team in the 450 class as Tomac’s teammate. What can he do in his rookie year on one of the most coveted rides in Supercross?
What about Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne? He missed the first part of last season but improved as the year went on. Will the sophomore year in 450s be a breakout year for this versatile rider? Can Monster Energy/Yamaha Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia and Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-WPS/KTM Blake Baggett do more in 2020 than their surprise early victories in 2019?
We have lots more questions and uncertainties than answers and sure bets. We start finding out Saturday night at Anaheim One.
