Cooksey, Straight To The Point: "He Cracked, I Didn’t" 8

Some final thoughts on the SX season from Cooksey.

The Las Vegas round of Monster Energy Supercross marked the end of the 2019 campaign. Vegas is my hometown and balancing everything that comes along with the Supercross finale is like herding cats. Everyone loves coming to Vegas for a multitude of reasons. It’s the culmination of the series, champions are crowned, and Vegas is the party capitol of America. As a WPS/Fly sales rep, independent journalist and @twofoursocial advisor, the week around Vegas felt like a month.

As a WPS rep I spend a lot of time in my car by myself, but last week I had some co-workers and a legend riding with me. Damon “Beast from The East” Bradshaw is a complete ballbuster, and driving him around is like being the subject of a roast. I dished out my fair share of insults, but when you spend time with Bradshaw you'd better have thick skin. Damon is a true legend, and while he dishes out plenty of friendly insults he also takes them in stride when they come back his way. He has stories for days...fun facts like how both he and Bob Hannah have been given a lifetime ban from Hertz. The story played out much like the rental car scene from Days of Thunder, but a Hertz executive happened to see the action.

The Friday before the final Supercross I helped local dealers coordinate open houses where fans could meet their favorite riders in person. Elite riders from KTM, Kawasaki, Husqvarna, Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda spend an hour kissing babies and signing autographs with fans. I loved meeting the enthusiasts that Vegas draws from all over the world, especially the Canadian fans. I had to ask what they thought of my favorite Hulu show, Letterkenny. They very politely explained that Letterkenny is their version of a hillbilly stereotype. The Canadians I have met are always friendly; I think it’s time to take the family up there for a summer vacation. 

At the other rounds, typically around 9:00am, I am securing a good seat in the press box. The Vegas Supercross had me pulling double duty with my responsibilities with WPS/Fly. After helping the team put the final touches on the WPS/Fly activation, we moved to our specific stations. I am very passionate about safety and brain protection, so I volunteered to work the Fly Formula display. At 5:30, after about seven hours in the Vegas heat, we tore down the display. WPS/Fly is a family atmosphere and follows the motto, “Work hard, play hard.”

Instead of taking my usual spot in the press box, I met my wife and headed to the Fly suite.  Along with venders and VIPs, I joined Bradshaw and lifetime Fly rider Andrew Short. I grabbed a seat near Short, as I love picking his brain. He is not far removed from being a Supercross star, and he sees things that most never notice. The first whoop section caused a few nasty crashes. I looked at the last two whoops as the culprit but Short was quick to point out a whoop in the middle that was causing the issue. His eye for detail is impressive! 

From there I hit up the post-race press conference where Cooper Webb’s performance on the mic rivaled his performance on the track. We got a glimpse of the brash take no prisoners attitude we saw him exhibit in the 250 class. He described the difference between himself and Adam Cianciarulo by saying, “He cracked, I didn’t." He followed that up by answering my question about where he stacked up outdoors by saying “ I could give a shit about outdoors right now." Despite what Webb said, I am looking forward to the outdoors! I can’t wait to see if Cooper can challenge the always entertaining and enigmatic Eli Tomac.

 

Follow me @chriscooksey61 on Instagram and Twitter and @Cookseymedia on Facebook.

Chris Cooksey is life-long motocross enthusiast, racing professionally in arenacross, motocross and supermoto. Chris obtained his degree from Arizona State, majoring in business and communications. After college Chris immersed himself in the business and social media aspects of the industry. Chris enjoys sharing his opinions. Sit back and enjoy the view from his perspective.

8 comments

View replies to: Cooksey, Straight To The Point: "He Cracked, I Didn’t"

Comments

In reply to by motonation24

In reply to by Sluggo77

The Latest