Despite not feeling 100%, Cooper was true to form, topping qualifying for the seventh time this season. He then grabbed his eighth holeshot of the year from the number-one gate pick and rode away from the rest of the field, amassing nearly a 10-second lead by Lap 4. He went down on the following lap but rejoined and regrouped to build another healthy gap up front en route to his fifth moto win of the season.
Meanwhile, his teammate Martin was pushed wide at the start and found himself sixth, but he kept pushing and worked his way back into the top five before the halfway mark. A lap later, he made the pass for fourth and then set his sights on closing the gap to the final podium spot. With just under two minutes to go, the competition made an error, and the veteran took advantage to move into third for his 10th moto podium of the season.
In Moto 2, it was Martin who grabbed the holeshot while Cooper was back in seventh. The Minnesotan put his head down and pulled off a disappearing act of his own, building a big gap to lead from start to finish for his fifth moto win and third overall of the season. The result also marked an impressive 20th-career overall victory in the class and moved him to third in the points standings.
After not getting the start he was hoping for, Cooper put his head down and pushed as hard as he could in the punishing heat and humidity. He passed his teammate Frye for sixth and gained another spot on Lap 2. The battle for the third started to heat up, and three laps later, a rider went down, allowing Cooper to advance to fourth, where he ultimately finished. The New Yorker’s podium streak continued with third overall, and he kept the red plate with a three-point advantage in the title chase.
Frye rebounded from a first-lap crash in Moto 1 and quickly made his way to 19th by the first lap, ultimately making his way to 14th by the end of the moto. In Moto 2, the 20-year-old found some redemption at his hometown track in Mechanicsville, Maryland, getting off to a good start in sixth. He was running a good pace and ultimately finished 10th for 12th overall.
Kitchen also had a tough first moto coming back from three crashes to finish 16th. He got a much better start in the second moto but was caught up in a crash on the opening lap that put him at the back of the field. The Washington State rider put his head down and worked his way through the pack to equal his first moto result for 16th overall.
The Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing team heads to Crawfordsville, Indiana, on August 28 for Round 10 of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship at the Ironman National.
