Page 16 - ISSUE_77

ALEX MARTIN
250 MX / 4TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> The AMA Outdoor motocross series is de nitely a marathon of sorts, when in comparison to all other forms of racing these riders formerly competed in. It’s not just a three-moto format like those of amateur championships, or even a heat and main-event combination of Supercross; it’s a testa- ment of longevity, over twenty-four grueling races, where the toughest will survive. They all came to the line of practice of the Hangtown classic, hungry for a feast of victory, that would await them at the end of the day. Who would assert himself as an alpha male in the early going? Who would be the rst to step forward and say they’re the man in the charge? Alex Martin believed it was he, and was one of the rst to lay down a jaw-dropping laptime around this California circuit. It was as if the further the chassis slung from side to side, the more he kept the throttle pinned. There was absolutely no sign of fear for these time trials, and he couldn’t wait to copy the performance come time for the gate drop. It was here, and as he shot out of the hole amongst forty of the fastest rid- ers in the nation, his con dence wouldn’t waver. The rst lap or so was chaos, as we all intended; and he emerged ninth. Ripping through tearoff’s as if they were hotcakes, the absurd amount of chocolate clay he was eating was ridiculous. Most would back it down a tad, but he wanted to better himself in every possible aspect. Eyeing his teammate Jordon Smith, the two would nearly come together at one point, but he would remain upright, with the suspension jarring through the harshest of strokes down the pot-holed lled downhill up top. Passing the halfway mark, he still sat in good shape, his jersey beginning to be dampened from his perspiration. The droplets of hard- work began to cool him down, while he dropped down the downhill near the nish line. The white ag would come about, and he would reside seventh; holding on for the remaining portion of the lap, this is where he would nish. For moto two, he felt as though a good portion of his energy had zapped in the rst outing; however, he was strong enough to endure the journey that was occur- ring. Navigating through the numerous off-cambers furthest from the start, he could be seen wind- ing the 250 out, as the back wheel spun for traction. Skying over the tabletop just after the start, he would take a subtle look over to the inside, and Plessinger would appear. Attempting to shut the door, the two would drag race up the following hill, and he would keep the opposition at bay. It was like this for the remainder of the moto, as he just had to stay persistent; otherwise this pack would engulf and submerge both he and machine. Double-doubling the slight quad just before the dragon’s back, his smooth style and technique remained in tact, even though the moto began to fade away. He felt assured that he could hold on, enough to retain fourth overall once the moto scores were cumulated. And he would do so, placing third, and just small step off of the podium.
16 GRITMOTO • MAY 21, 2018