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theGRIT
IMAGE/WONDERGOAT
It was easy to tell that Alex had some confidence going into the first race of the year in Northern California as he qualified in a very strong 13th position among the best 250 riders in the world. He was ready to get the season started and when the gate dropped for moto 1, Alex got off to a top fifteen start and found himself battling for 12th by the third lap. Alex kept moving forward and was able to catch and
pass three more riders and ended up with an impressive 8th place in moto 1. In the final 250 moto, Alex got off to a top ten start not once, but twice after a red flag restart, and set his sights on improving his moto 1 performance. Alex made moves quickly on the riders in front of him and looked to be on a mission. After just a few laps, Alex had found himself along side his brother battling for 5th position. With about twenty minutes to go, Alex made the pass on his little brother while climbing up the hill and was now sitting 5th. In the next few laps he made the move on 4th place Smith and set his sights on his next victim. With eleven minutes to go, Alex made a charge through the half pipe and was able to take the line from 3rd place Forkner. With the end in sight, 2nd place rider, Jesse Nelson makes a mistake and hands the position to a hard charging Alex Martin and he would finish the day off with 2nd place. Alex’s day could not have gone better with an 8th place in moto 1 as he finishes 2nd overall at Hangtown.
words/BUBBLANNAN
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