Catching Cooper

Cooper Webb seems to be the second most noted amateur racer, sitting behind the highly-touted Adam Cianciarulo. The media has been something he's known almost his entire life. So it came as no surprise that, as soon as the 2012 outdoor series wrapped up, the spotlight turned to the up and coming amateurs. And he was first on the list.

Webb finished up Loretta's this year with a first and a second. Since then, he's spent time with two-time Arenacross champion Tyler Bowers and a few other riders down at the South of the Border complex, training for the all-amateur race at the Monster Energy Cup. Still unsure as to what 2013 holds for him, Webb won't know whether or not he'll be racing professionally until after the Freestone and Oak Hill amateur nationals.

Whether or not he turns pro in 2013, Webb is already starting to train at the same level as his professional counterparts.

"I’ve been working a lot with my trainer Tim Cryster, and even before Loretta’s we started on a pro training program," Webb said. "Our main goal right now is Hangtown, and obviously we have been training for all the amateur races, but everyone’s goal is the professional level. That’s what we’ve been training toward right now and even though it’s a ways away you can never be too prepared."

Check out Webb's entire interview HERE.

With all of the hype around Webb, I'm not sure what to think. From his interviews, it sounds like he has a pretty solid head on his shoulders. But will that be enough to make it as a pro? We've seen some of the top amateurs come into the professional ranks and struggle. Justin Bogle didn't have the rookie year he'd hoped for and Jeremy Martin beat his brother, but that was about it.

I'll be watching Webb at MEC, that's for sure. But how he debuts in the pros is anyone's guess at this point.