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As practice times and qualifying sessions concluded, many began to realize the true depth of this field, with the top twenty separated by a mere few seconds. Martin knew he had his work cut out for himself, but the Minnesotan remained focused and willing to do the task at hand. The Star Racing Yamaha rider set sail to a third place start amongst the cluster of revving chaos throughout the opening chicanes. Trailing two stars of the south, Joey Savatgy and Jordon Smith, Martin seemed
well aware of his surroundings and looked to stand his ground on the backdrop of the podium. He quickly realized a familiar foe camouflaged in blue attire, as Cooper Webb shoved his way into the mix, overtaking third for the time being. Looking to latch on to his Yamaha comrade, he felt an eerie presence of another being just behind his neck and out of sight; it was RJ Hampshire. Martin began to scan the Hangtown course for optimal race lines, swinging inside and out, piecing the track together like a jigsaw puzzle. Throwing the pressure of Hampshire to the wayside, he began to reel in the West Coast Supercross champ once again, but this time, slamming the door shut, locking the deadbolt in the process. The case was closed, and Martin would cement himself for a podium interview, taking third for the moto. Following a red flag and hiatus of adrenaline, Martin stayed the course and neared the top five through the initial set of terrain for moto two. In a tandem of both he and his brother, they fought tooth and nail for every position.
A sight that many would consider a rarity, the younger Jeremy was actually overtaken by Alex, pushing the champion into the sixth position. He then began to feel immense pressure of the lanky Ohio prospect, Aaron Plessinger. An uncharacteristic mistake overtook the Minnesotan nearing the end of the moto, as a fall would drop him to ninth position. An unfortunate result, but a fifth overall is nothing to hang his head on. He plans on attacking the next round with one hundred percent aggression.
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