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MARTIN DAVALOS
450 MX / 7TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / TILLS
>> When the series rolls into Millville, the riders know that they are about to endure a severe beating on both body and machine. The spine, hips, legs, and shoulders will be fatigued to the max; the bike, consisting of the numerous bearings, bolts, and nuts, will be battered to the core; all must be sustainable. Both man and machine in the Martin Davalos camp were ready to clash against all others among the field. The sword had been sharpened, the gear armed and ready, and an all out assault was ordered by his team manager. Scoping out the track in practice, he knew he had much more left in the tank, but just wanted to give those in the area’s vicinity acknowledgement, and establish a baseline to his future performance. He would deliver when the gate dropped, the effort dripping through the foam that lined the rim of his goggles, he was dogging the 450 for all it had. Hard to believe, but the way he was scrubbing the downhills was absurd, the footpeg leaving a slight edge as it arced up the face in curving fashion. His effort would remount upon landing, bouncing off the back tire and digging into mother earth. Pushing through the halfway point, he was fighting tooth and nail for each and every position, his laptimes on a linear climb. Nearing the end of the moto, his battle with Peick and Noren would be his final settling place for the conclusion, taking 11th. Round two, he was off the stool and ready to come out swinging; a sixth place start saw an immediate attrac- tion between him and his Husqvarna teammate. The two would latch on to each other, almost as if they were replicating a day on the practice track. Working his way around Bogle, the only person that could sneak upon him was Eli Tomac. He would surprisingly hold the number 3, an applaud worthy performance. Finishing fourth at the stripe, he felt he had gained strides by weekend’s end, taking seventh overall.
26 GRITMOTO • JULY 23, 2017