Image: Octopi Media.

An ongoing recovery from illness will rule Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper out of this weekend’s final round of Pro Motocross 2026 at the Ironman National.

After sustaining a concussion at Hantown, Cooper briefly returned for Unadilla and went 8-12 for ninth overall, but opted to sat out Budds Creek due to illness.

Now, the decision has been made for Cooper to redirect his focus to next month’s Monster Energy SMX World Championship post-season, which will commence with SMX Playoff 1 at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on September 12.

“Unfortunately, Justin won’t be racing this weekend at Ironman,” commented Star Racing 450 team manager Rich Simmons. “He’s definitely been missed around the team this MX season, and we’re all looking forward to having him back. But our main priority is making sure he gets back to 100 percent health. We’ll be excited to see him back at the races when he’s ready.”

Cooper is currently seeded 10th in the combined SMX rankings, likely to drop behind RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) this weekend. He finished fifth in the 450SX standings, but has missed the majority of the 450MX season.