Sacramento, California (May 20, 2017) – Racing luck was certainly not on Team GEICO Honda’s side for the 2017 kick off of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. However, come-from-behind efforts on a hot race day and a rough track served to prove the team is not short on determination.
Jeremy Martin’s day sums up much of how it went for the entire team. The two-time AMA 250 National Motocross Champion was running sixth in the first moto when his engine died, the result of freak electrical troubles. Martin, who has not raced since suffering a back injury not long after the Daytona Supercross in March, had to take the 35th gate selection for the second moto of the day. He got a predictably bad start from that gate, but quickly began to charge forward, finding new lines on the rough race track and blasting all the way to third at the finish, with runner-up Austin Forkner just ahead.
“Hangtown is in the books,” said Martin. “It’s unfortunate that we had a rough first round going 35-3 for 11th overall. It’s only two of 24 motos and we have a whole lot of racing left. Second moto was encouraging. I came from the 25th gate pick and was probably around 15th or 20th rounding the second turn. It was good to get all the way to third. I gotta be able to get around those guys faster. I sat behind Austin [Forkner] for way too long. I had to go wide in some spots to make passes and try taking different lines. I was sick of getting roosted!”
Cameron McAdoo made his professional motocross debut at Hangtown, but never got a shot to show what he had after a pair of first-turn crashes. From 24thand 32nd position on the first lap of his two motos, he finished 15-16 for 16th overall.
“Hangtown was definitely pretty tough on me, but it was something to build off of and learn from,” said McAdoo. “Moto 1 I hit a downed bike in the second turn and went down. Lost my back brake in the crash, too, but I ended coming through to 15th. Moto 2 I got my front wheel taken out coming into the first turn and ended up down pretty hard. At first I was unsure if I was gonna be able to finish the race until I gathered myself back up and got going and came through for 16th. Ended up 16th overall on the day, but we’re healthy and going to come out swinging at Glen Helen.”
The day was even tougher on Jimmy Decotis, who suffered a big crash in the first moto and battled back to score one championship point with 20th. He failed to finish the second moto, and was credited with 37th.
The trio hopes for better days ahead, starting with round two at Glen Helen in San Bernardino, California, this weekend.
GEICO Honda Results (Overall)
Hangtown National
11. Jeremy Martin
16. Cameron McAdoo
23. Jimmy Decotis
