Star Racing Yamaha: Is One More Year of Tomac Worth Losing Justin Cooper?

Taken from Live Interview during a PulpMX Show 585: https://youtube.com/live/vMwD2XOLW2w

Andy do you are we sleeping on Justin Cooper six in the points like are we I no I think he’s good and I think that he’s learning 450 I I think he’s still it’s not his time yet I think this year will be especially on the 450 Outdoors is going to be a big question for him if he can go the all the rounds and and be consistent uh I mean we know how fast he is especially when he was on a 250 Outdoors he was really really good so I think for him too is confidence in the 450 class cuz that’s those guys are badass so it’s I I I mean you you look at the kid he has all the tools he’s a great starter like that’s few and far between he he can get a start almost every weekend and be up there so it’s just can he follow through and and get a win here or get a you know a great finish get a second or a third you know battling and I think that helps him do you not feel like he’s gonna be right around Hunter outdoors I kind of do whatever whatever tier you want to put him in like jet Chase um jet Chase they’re in the next one right I think Anderson Hunter Cooper he’s right there right okay but I I just but I think if he gets a you know you know how Outdoors is and and and I’m going to say you know like the way our sport is it’s not like any other sport we line up every race there’s no staggered start there’s no I got a great qualifying so I’m you know get a a lead and you have to start twice even if you win the first Moto the second Moto you can go and blow a start and get beat so I I think that Justin kooper he’s such a good starter that it’ll allow him to maybe win a race that someone guys get a B start I think he’s good enough I really do I I think he’s good enough yeah I I believe in him too I think I think he’s going to H he has a lot of top end speed and that’s hard to find I think uh he can slowly steadily get better like yeah if that guy gets a whole shot Outdoors he can run for a while like he’s fast and he’s fit and he’s he’s like a look at the lack of wins he had actual outdoor wins on a 250 like I know it’s weird cuz he’s got 8 million podiums yeah I know but I mean he raced some great guys too yeah and I mean I I like he’s a pressure player to me like I don’t think he’s affected by the big moment I think he performs no matter what’s happening so yeah I mean I think it’s just 450 class tough it takes a little bit of time but I think he’s going to continue to get better JT if I’m Rockstar hust and Andy probably already has this he knows everything about this but I’m we think Craig’s gone I’m going after Justin Cooper JT I am I’m I’m putting a press on yeah I can I could see that um it’ll be interesting to see how that that whole thing plays out because I I know that Bobby Reagan loves Justin Cooper so I think they’ll want to keep him for the long term because you know tomac’s coming back but there there’s an expiration date on Eli they know that and I think think they want Justin Cooper around for the long term so do they find a way to sacrifice short term so they keep their process in place long term that that will be the question but yeah if another team whether Rockstar husky or whoever comes in with a really nice offer I don’t know that they have budget to match that you know that’s gonna be the tough part for Justin is I think you know I’m sure he wants to stay there but is he is it worth three or 400 extra thousand dollar turn down to to let me ask you I think star is cap space issues let me ask you this Yamaha pays the 450 salaries yep so they pay the 450 salaries Eli so let me just ask you this if if Eli came in it’s like I want to come back at we know he signed a lower deal than Co a couple hundred thousand less I believe if not more but if Eli comes in and says I want 400 Grand salary let’s just he’s asking for way more no no dude no no no he’s low he’s low I don’t agree uh but he also doesn’t want to do motorcross so if he wants 400 for super Supercross only and SMX next year and Justin Cooper’s like hey I want 200 for a full year you know Eli’s gonna beat Justin Cooper next year probably but then you know Cooper’s gonna be a guy where do you stand on that JT what do you do do you tell your Tomac I don’t think that Eli’s gonna take 400 Grand thank you I don’t know I think he’s a pretty low money right now because to leave I think you’re wrong and and let’s say he doesn’t do Motocross next year I don’t know man think he’s more than 400 base without smot cost yeah yeah yeah so point being if okay maybe I’m off but point being uh do you take Cooper if if you’re y back at 400 Grand’s say let’s say let’s say it’s more and and and and all of that like whatever whatever all three you can’t what’s the two you take but you’re like look Eli is a fading asset one super crost win this year like JT said his time is coming he’s a great Rider all of that but can can you find a way to you know be a great general manager and manipulate the numbers to where like well I’m saying can you find a creative solution to say okay Jus we’re gonna it’s gonna be a rough first year or two we’ll give you a four-year deal and we’ll backload it when we have more budget because Eli’s not going to be here right because I do think Justin Cooper is a great long-term solution for them you can see the Improvement happening and I I think there’s a chance he wins motor or two Outdoors because he’s going to constantly put himself in winning positions yeah and so I left out too web’s deal jumps up huge next year I forgot to mention that I know that for sure because they were like Eli’s gonna be gone coup so ride for low and so so you got Eli you got web money high and what Tomac wants to come back at a high number and Cooper how do you work that yeah JT like you said with L right think Cooper could get a lot of money from anybody like more than like three or 400 I I don’t think just knowing what the market is like you look at what like Malcolm signed for Christian Craig signed for Aaron Pinger signed for those were not high-paying deals because there just aren’t many available rides there are more Riders than rides available so I think Justin would have to take something like that a two three 400,000 deal and then go go get your other money on top of that so I think if he’s if he’s offered something like that I think he takes it right and and Yamaha brass just has to get really creative of how they work this shell game for the short term make sure that they have their guys for the long ter make it up in term right make it up in term you just whiteboard it out you okay if we keep Justin this is what we have like or let Justin go keep Eli and web and go after Chase in 26 yeah yeah why were we pointing at Andy I I was just like I have question they were they were going after chase this year yeah that’s what I mean like before he signed his KTM that was Lot a lot closer than I think was reported on yeah um all right we got a phone call for you JT before we let you go uh what’s up Steve you got a JT question