Page 10 - ISSUE_77

JEREMY MARTIN
250 MX / 2ND
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> As he walks out of the semi doors, an overwhelming sense of calm ripples through his nervous system. He’s loose, con dent, and feeling at one with the environment. As he saddles up aboard this monster of a machine below, everything feels as though it’s in the proper position. Both levers are at op- timum spacing, the clutch cable is pristine, and the air pressure in the tires is just to his liking. He knew it was going to be a good day, as soon as rolled out from underneath the canopy. The tires began to dig in on the grass of the pit area, and he would walk his bike onto the starting grid. Looking out to the referee, he watched as the left hand of the black and white uniformed marshal began to scan; it nally landed upon his rank, and he would wreak havoc on the terrain below. You could almost feel his excitement and attitude while watching him ride; the smile and con dence gleaming as wheel-tapped up the left side of the new dragons-backed uphill. All pieces of this puzzle were gelling together, with the rubber of his tires acting as a strand of hot glue; signing off on all quali cation matters, he was beyond please with his per- formance of the early morning. It was now time to replicate for the rst moto, and he would do so with a strong burst of energy to the green ag. Sitting third, he would ght tooth and nail for every millisecond of territory gained. Leaping into the mechanics area off of the inside single, the pitboard readings of the rst few laps were miniscule; it was just he, and the dangling carrot of the checkered ag ahead. Trying to nd the optimum ruts in the top portion of the track, he tried his best to sprint away from Austin Forkner. The heart rate would surge, but he would continue to plug away, knowing that if his pace would withstand,
he would break the mentality of those behind. His number plate was still relatively clean, as he danced through the two-way prior to the tunnel-single. Up and over the leaning step-up, he eyed both Forkner and Cooper, looking to move into second. However, a tip over in the top portion of the chicanes would cause the momentum to stall, and be forced to make his way up to the number thirty- ve again. He would do so, catching the Kawasaki in the same place he’d tipped over. Once around, he could see the number one in the foreground, but the champ had walked away; he would have to settle for second.
The second round was here, and time for the eld to run it back. Clicking third immediately over the
gate, he began to push towards the rear fender, leaning back and grabbing gears. He and Plessinger jousted for an early lead, yet he would sustain. Osborne would then ride the back fender of Martin, railing the outside of the rst roller section, and scurrying around Martin for the lead, over the two-way double. Jeremy would have no choice but to relinquish, giving Osborne the lead. He would try his best to make
a comeback, but it was to no avail; still, Martin would walk away with two second place nishes, and second overall.
10 GRITMOTO • MAY 21, 2018