For the second race running, Cooper set the pace from the start as the fastest qualifier. In his heat race, the New Yorker did not get off the gate as he planned and had to work his way from ninth to fourth. Cooper got a much better start in the Main Event. Unfortunately, he went down in the third turn on the opening lap after a tough block was knocked out in front of him. Rejoining near the back of the field, the red-plate holder quickly went to work and advanced to 15th before the start of the second lap. Cooper put in consistently fast laps to move into fourth but ran out of time to try for a podium.
The Supercross track next to the finish line of the iconic Daytona International Speedway is known for being one of the most challenging tracks on the series’ calendar. Both of the team’s rookies struggled to find their flow in practice, but Thrasher put in a solid effort to earn his best heat race result thus far in sixth. Although Frye still worked to find his comfort zone in the demanding conditions, the young rider from Mechanicsville, Maryland, once again qualified for the Main Event with a ninth-place finish. He got a decent start in 14th and crossed the line 12th to earn his best result in his second outing.
Thrasher found himself back with Cooper after the start and put his head down to make another charge through the pack. He worked his way up to 15th but a technical issue early on had him switch to conservation mode and unfortunately was unable to finish, ending the night 20th.
The Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 250SX West team heads to AT&T Stadium for the first of three Monster Energy AMA Supercross rounds in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, March 13.
