Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/713106
IN THE WIND P38 COOPER WEBB JOINS FACTORY YAMAHA MX TEAM Y amaha introduced its 2017 Factory Su- percross/Motocross Racing Team, which includes returning rider Chad Reed and new- comer Cooper Webb. Keith McCarty, Motorsports Racing Divi- sion Manager for Yamaha Motor Corporation, said, "Last year, we re-introduced our Yamaha Factory Racing Supercross team, with Chad Reed as our rider, and he did an excellent job for us, both on the track and with the fans. He helped re-energize our factory program, and it was great see how much all the fans enjoyed seeing him race once again for Yamaha. We're thrilled to have Chad back with us again for the 2017 season, and we're also pleased to announce the addition of Cooper Webb as Chad's teammate on our Factory Racing team. "Cooper had a tremendous supercross season, in which he won his second consecutive 250SX West Championship. Also, he is currently sitting atop the points standings in the AMA 250cc Moto- cross Championship with a 51-point lead. He is a fierce competitor who is brimming with talent and determination, and we're excited to have him join our Factory Racing team with Chad as his team- mate. Cooper is furthering his longstanding relation- ship with Yamaha, which has already seen much success dating back to his amateur days. As a Yamaha bLU cRU amateur racer, he won two Loretta Lynn's championships, 9 Winter-Olympics championships, a Monster Energy Cup amateur championship. "I'm really excited to be joining the Yamaha Fac- tory Racing team," Webb said. "It's a dream come true for me, especially to be able to stay with the brand where I started my professional career. Also, it's going to be great to team up with Chad. I met him a long time ago, and growing up, he was always my favorite rider. So to be teammates with a legend is awesome. It's going to help me tremendously to learn from him, and I can't think of a better teammate to have as I move up to 450s full-time." Chad is looking forward to the 2017 super- cross season, and he welcomes Cooper as his teammate on the Yamaha Factory Racing team. "I'm excited to get back to work with the Yamaha guys," Chad said. "2016 was a great learning and rebuilding phase for me and for Yamaha going racing as a factory team again. We learned the bike and found our strengths and weaknesses. "It's a huge positive that we are able to use this time wisely to prepare for 2017, and the team and I are motivated to continue building. I think Cooper brings a new level of energy to the team. Youth has that natural way of upping the enthusiasm! I like that energy, and I'm looking forward to having him as my teammate." Both riders will compete aboard Yamaha YZ450F machines. Reed will contest the 2017 450SX AMA Supercross Championship, while Webb will compete in both the 2017 450SX AMA Supercross Championship and the 2017 450MX AMA Pro Motocross Championship. CN Yamaha officially announced that Cooper Webb will join Chad Reed on the Yamaha Supercross/ Motocross Factory Racing Team in 2017.