Image: Octopi Media.

Contact from Chase Sexton during the San Diego main event left defending 450SX champion Cooper Webb to settle for an eighth-place result after going down in the incident, indicating that he intends to ‘get him back’.

Off the back of a P7 finish to start the Monster Energy Supercross season at A1, Webb was targeting a rebound in Snapdragon Stadium, which began with eighth in 450SX qualifying before posting another P8 result in his heat race.

Running sixth in the main event, the 30-year-old was met by a charging Sexton six minutes into the race, with the latter executing an aggressive pass in the turn after the whoops, which ended in contact – and Webb hitting the ground.

“San Diego, it was a bit of a crappy day once again, unfortunately,” Webb recalled in his latest personal vlog. “I put myself in a bad spot by falling in the heat race again, and just not much you can do from there. When it comes to gate-pick for the main event, you put yourself in a bad one.

“But I got a pretty good start, made some good passes, had gotten around AP [Aaron Plessinger] and Jason [Anderson], and then yeah, Chase cleaned me out. That was a bummer, because I felt him there and had given him room, but he ran us all the way high to the top of the berm.

“So, I guess his Kawi doesn’t turn very well or something, but we’ll get him back, though. I’m sure of that. But all-in-all, a bit of a bummer, these first two weekends – it ain’t for the weak, this sport, so we’ll be back. That’s a matter of fact.”

Although only two rounds into the 17-round indoor component of SMX, Webb currently faces a 21-point deficit to early red plate-holder Eli Tomac (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) after the latter has stood on top of the podium in the opening two rounds.