Our great friend in USA, Eric Johnson, sat down with one of the most underrated riders in the sport. Currently ranked third in the Monster Energy Supercross Championship and fourth and only three points out of second place in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, Justin Cooper has been a sensation throughout the stadium and natural terrain racing seasons this year.

On the works Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing YZ450F, the 27-year-old put the finishing touches on his ‘25 stadium tour by standing on the podium following the last three straight main events of the season.

Having hit critical mass at the concluding rounds of Supercross, Cooper was physically and mentally prepared for the Pro Motocross opening round at Fox Raceway in Pala, racing to 2-8 moto scores for fifth overall. One week later saw Cooper hit the podium with 5-2 moto finishes at the Hangtown Motocross Classic. This Saturday brings round three of the outdoor series at Thunder Valley Motocross Park in Lakewood, Colo., and Cooper is eager for what's next.

“Yeah, it’s been going really well,, so I’m just trying to get that next step,” said Cooper. “We’ve been going back and forth to Florida and doing a little bit of testing during the week and trying to get the bike a little bit better. So far it has been a good start to the series with a fifth at Pala and a third at Hangtown and we have my favorite outdoor race of the year at Thunder Valley this weekend.”

Cooper believes the 17-round stadium tour mentally prepared him for the opening phase of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship.

“I would say it was more of a confidence booster,” explained Cooper. “Just to see the progress. I’ve had a pretty good healthy streak going on here. Knock on wood. It’s good to kind of compare last year and my rookie season to this year. Just knowing that I was that little bit better this year in supercross, I felt like that should translate to the outdoor series and so far it has. I’ve already achieved better finishes than I have in all of my rookie season. You know everything is on the right track and I feel like I’m a better rider all around, too.”

Two weeks after placing fifth overall in the final Monster Energy Supercross point standings, Cooper lined up at Pala and motored to 2-8 moto finishes for a strong fifth overall.

“Honestly, it was a little bit better than I thought I would do," he admitted. "In the second moto, I felt really just flat. I was fighting the bike a little bit and I was pretty low on energy. I didn’t eat enough between motos. And the night before I was kind of on East Coast time because we came from Florida. I remember going to bed at 7 o’clock, so I really didn’t have a proper dinner. As soon as I got off the track for moto two, it kind of just hit me. Obviously we focused way more on that this weekend and we should have a better second moto.”

One week later brought the Hangtown Motocross Classic and brutal 102-degree temperatures to Rancho Cordova, Calif. Despite the brutal and oppressive heat, New York native Cooper rode to 4-2 moto scores to find a step on the podium.

“The heat is a whole different challenge, you know? It’s not something that we get a whole lot," he said. "It surprises us every time we do get it.”

But his favorite racing circuit on the AMA Pro MX schedule, Thunder Valley Motocross Park, is the next stop.

“I seem to really thrive at that track,” he said. “Ever since I went pro, I’ve only missed the podium once. That was in 2022 and I got fourth overall and went 3-3 that day. That place is special for me. I don’t know what it is, but yeah, something with me and that place clicks. Being at elevation, the bike is a little bit slower and it us definitely more demanding physically. It’s hard to breath and that stuff. I don’t know… It’s just a unique event and one that stands out to me, for sure.”

Following the Thunder Valley race, the AMA Pro MX contingent will pack everything up and head east, stopping next at High Point Raceway in Mount Morris, Pa. Two weeks later, Justin Cooper and his competitors will compete in the sand box known as The Wick 338 in Southwick, Mass.

“Mount Morris? Yeah, I don’t really like that place," he said. "I had a couple of big crashes there. It’s tricky and it’s really technical and you’re riding on the side of a hill a lot, so that’s probably why I don’t really enjoy it. However, it is a great racetrack. I do respect that track I’ve had good rides there in the past, but definitely not one that I look forward to as far as racing. And with Southwick, it’s kind of crazy that I haven’t ridden there more with growing up through the amateur ranks. It’s obviously one of those tracks that is really physically demanding and by far the hardest one. Just finding a good flow on that track is important for the whole moto. Yeah, definitely not a track to override because you can be pretty slow quick.”

Through his on-track performance and things he has said and pointed out in recent blurbs in the global moto media, Cooper has thoroughly enjoyed matching up against, and often times, defeating many of the world’s best SuperMotocross racers.

“Yeah, and it’s a big step being a fifth-place guy to contending for wins," he said. "Jett [Lawrence] is obviously a generational rider and he’s kind of had a gap on everyone. Trying to get closer to that is the goal and even more of a problem. Sometimes it’s hard watching him have an easy race. I feel like we should be able to get up there and then give him some more problems. That’s kind of what the goal is, to kind of bridge that gap and harass him a little bit.

"I was able to ride with him a lot [last] weekend. I didn’t beat him, but I could see him in my sights in both motos. It was good just to see where his pace was at and where mine was at. I could see him out front in the while second moto and I was kind of just trying to tow off of him. He’s really good at managing races.

"I think I’m in a way better spot than last year and that’s going to pay off good in the end. We are starting the series off right with a podium early. That is definitely the right way to do it. We want to just keep carrying that momentum. Moving up from the 250 class, you’ve got all of these guys that are established. I feel like it has taken me all the way up to this point to really fit in. Now, I’m kind of finding my groove and making strides in this class.”