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ALEX MARTIN
IMAGE/ANDYCAVAZOS
It’s tough to keep track of all the Star Racing Yamaha riders this year on the outdoor circuit. Bobby Reagan had five different riders lining up on the gate at Hangtown; two of them were expected to duke it out for moto wins on their way to championship glory, but there was one rider that came flying in under everybody’s radar. Alex Martin won the first moto of his career last year at a water-logged Budds
Creek, but there were extenuating circumstances which threatened the legitimacy of the victory. His brother, Jeremy Martin, stalled on the last lap which allowed Alex to pass him for 1st position and take his maiden moto victory. A Mart
had some spirited rides last year during the outdoor season, regularly showing podium speed and mixing it up at the front of the field.
The results he put in earned him a spot with the Star Racing Yamaha squad alongside his brother for 2016. A championship proven team with factory support brings another level of expectation, which is exactly what was placed on Martin going into the 250 West SX season. He struggled to finish in tune with those expectations, failing to get on the podium in any one of his races throughout the series, but he came into outdoors with a renewed confidence after making vital changes in his training program. He got off his brother’s training program with motocross legend, Johnny O’Mara, and joined his fellow Star Racing Yamaha teammates who train under Gareth Swanepoel. The alterations in his program have done wonders for Martin as he demonstrated very clearly at Hangtown. The first moto wasn’t anything spectacular after he hindered himself with bad track positioning out of the gate, but he was still able to claw his way back to an 8th place finish on a one-lined track that made it difficult to regain time. But, the second moto was really something special; there were jokes abound that Jeremy and Alex must have switched bikes before the start of the moto, because Alex was the one riding like the defending series champion. He stormed through the field after starting just inside the top ten, passing his brother in the process. Martin came up just short of his second career moto victory, narrowly finishing behind Pro Circuit’s Joey Savatgy after putting in a last lap charge. Savatgy joked after the race that he heard a Yamaha behind him and expected to see the number one plate, but he turned around and was faced instead with the number twenty-six. Obviously, A Mart was able to put his supercross woes behind him at Hangtown, will he be able to build off his 2nd overall finish coming into Glen Helen?
16 GRITMOTO • MAY.30.16
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