Page 14 - Issue_78

JEREMY MARTIN
250 MX / 3RD
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>>Two-time 250MX Lucas Oil Pro Motocross champion Jeremy Martin entered the 2018 outdoor season with as much as hype as he’s ever had. The Geico Honda rider enjoyed one his better Supercross cam- paigns earlier this year. He reeled off several brilliant performances in a row including a stretch of two sec- onds and two rsts. He was clearly clicking with his machine and we hadn’t even gotten to his specialty of outdoor motocross yet. Knowing this is likely his last season in the 250 class, Martin wanted to come out swinging at the opener at Hangtown and begin his quest of becoming one of just a few riders to win three outdoor motocross championships in the 250 class. He did end up swinging at the opener but came up just short, narrowly nishing second in both motos for second overall. He made adjustments in the week leading up to Glen Helen as he looked to notch that rst win of the season.
Jeremy Martin looked great in the morning practice qualifying sessions. He proclaims that Glen Helen is his favorite track and it surely looked like it early. He ended up qualifying with the second fastest time overall but threw down the fastest time of the nal practice session. He was indeed primed and ready to attack the competition in the two motos that lay ahead.
Martin kicked off his day with a shaky start in the opening moto. He rounded the rst lap in seventh but was able to skip up into sixth on lap two. There he found himself locked in behind the rider who edged him out for the fastest lap time in practice, rookie Justin Cooper. Martin shadowed the young rider and applied the pressure early. Martin was riding all over him but somehow just could not nd an opening. This al- lowed pressure from a pair of Kawasaki boys, Joey Savatgy and Garrett Marchbanks, to creep on his rear wheel. Martin retaliated by forcing the envelope even further on Cooper and that allowed them to both pick up the pace and pass Shane McElrath. Both Martin and Cooper cleared him, and it was back to a two man battle again. Martin was trying everything in his power to pass him, but he just couldn’t do it. He was pushing Cooper so hard that they ended up nearly catching and passing Alex Martin late in the race. But when the checkered ag waved, it saw Martin cross the line in fth still behind Cooper. A frustrating open- ing moto for Martin and he surely would come out even more red up for the second moto.
Martin got a better start in moto two coming around the rst turn in third. He seemed to be in a nice spot up front, but rst moto Aaron Plessinger came through to spoil things for him. Plessinger moved by him on lap three but Martin was able to maintain third by squeaking by Austin Forkner on the same lap. Martin did his best to try and run with Plessinger to the lead but was just a tick off his pace. Nonetheless, he kept plugging away lap after lap and it paid off when he caught his brother and early race leader, Alex Martin. He did not want to get stuck sitting and watching like he did in the rst moto, so he applied the pressure immediately and aggressively. He dove it in deep before the rst big hill and made the pass happen. From there he would be able to keep it steady and secure the second-place nish. His 5-2 moto scores would net him third overall for the day. He managed another podium overall, but he is still looking for that rst moto win of the year after nishing second in three of the rst four motos.
14 GRITMOTO • MAY 27, 2018