Photos by: Todd Gutierrez
If you would have told us a couple years ago that Troy Lee Designs / KTM’s Alex Martin would be a championship favorite heading into the 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, we might have asked you if you had your Martin brothers confused. That is just not the case anymore, though. Now both Martin brothers are on the top of everyone’s short lists of favorites in the 2017 AMA 250MX National Championship, and judging from their performances in 2016, you can arguably put Alex ahead of his brother, Jeremy, this season.
During the 2016 motocross season, Alex broke through with his first two outdoor overall wins, finished second in the 2016 250MX AMA National Motocross Championship and he also was given the ultimate honor of representing the US at the 2016 MXoN in Maggiora, Italy. With that, the #26 is no longer an under-the-radar underdog, and for the first time in his nine year professional career, he enters a national championship as one of the favorites to win it all. Alex has been the Cinderella story of the last two years. The only way this story could get any better is if he caps it all off with a national title.
In the MX opener last weekend at Hangtown, Alex returned to racing for the first time since he was injured in SX back in March, and he looked ready to try and make it happen. In moto one, Alex started just outside the top ten and willed his way up to fourth by the end of his first thirty plus two laps of 2017.
In the final moto of the day, Alex cleared the first turn around sixth, and by lap four, he was up to second and trying to find his way up to moto one winner, Zach Osborne. The only problem was, nobody was catching Zach on Saturday, and I think Alex’s effort at making it happen left his physical tank on E. With time winding down and nothing left in the tank, Alex was passed late by Austin Forkner and Jeremy Martin, but Alex’s consistent 4-4 on the day was enough to score him the second spot on the podium to start the season.
We caught up with Alex this week to talk about his Hangtown national, his health and how it feels to come into a season as one of the odds on favorites.
Alex, 4-4 for second overall at Hangtown. Kind of a weird deal, but similar to your second overall here last year, right?
Yeah, I went 8-2 for second overall here last year. I think AP [Aaron Plessinger] was third overall last year as well. Zach [Osborne] had it pretty easy, but overall it was close for everybody from second back.
Yeah, last year Joey Savatgy had the 1-1 and everyone else has weird overall scores. (laughs) How did you feel about your opening round overall?
It was good. The first practice was so muddy. They didn’t have a B practice, so I was literally like, “Should we just pull in and grab a beer for this one and watch and let the other guys break it in?” I knew the fastest times wasn’t going to come from that one. The second session was better—I was tenth. Tenth gate pick in the first moto and I had a shitty start. I came all the way from outside the top ten to fourth, which was a good charge. The track was really brutal this year. I’ve never seen Hangtown this rutted out and soft.
It’s always a brutal track at Hangtown, but this year was worse?
Not necessarily the worst, but it was just gnarly. It was really rough and challenging. It was also the first time in a while I can remember a 90-degree day at Hangtown. You’re really testing the fitness right off the bat. (laughs) It’s good to see where everyone was at, and for me, I’m just really happy because there were a lot of unknowns. Being hurt in SX and not necessarily having the most time to prepare, I did the best I could. I started feeling really good on the bike in the last few weeks, but overall, I’m just happy to come out of here with a second overall and second in the points.
Talking to a few riders before you I got the sense that, by the end of the first moto, your SX season just goes away. What I mean is, whether you did good or bad in SX, by the end of the first moto of Hangtown, you’re now mentally in full motocross mode.
Yeah, it doesn’t really help a whole lot… maybe mentally—mentally we’re all kind of fragile—but that always helps. For me, I didn’t have a terrible SX season. It was up and down to say the least, but I got a podium and was in the hunt before I got punted. [Christian Craig take out in Detroit ended Alex’s SX season]
How is the health? We haven’t seen you since you got punted. Is the health okay?
I’m feeling a lot better. I’m still struggling with some knee injury from Detroit, and that’s why I was a little bit nervous coming in. Overall, I think we did pretty good, and I think speed-wise I’m better than I thought I was.
How’s the fitness feeling?
I put on a charge to try and catch up to Zach [Osborne] in the first couple laps and couldn’t really do it. So then I started flowing and searching for lines, and I think if I had been a little smarter about my lines, I could have probably had second.
Maybe some different lines could have saved some energy for that end push when Austin [Forkner] and your brother [Jeremy Martin] were coming?
Yeah, saved some energy and started flowing. Forkner and even my brother had some really good lines, and I was like beating myself up. Granted, Jeremy only did the first fifteen minutes of the first moto and Forkner was back a little bit, so they were maybe a little more fresh. Overall, I definitely got a little tired that moto. (luaghs)
We’re heading to Glen Helen next weekend, the site of your first-ever overall win. Is that a place you normally like?
Yeah, for whatever reason, I’ve seemed to do good there for whatever reason the last couple of years. I’ll try to keep that going.
Is this a year where you feel you can end the season as the champ? You’re actually on everyone’s short lists this year as one of the championship favorites.
I mean, maybe. I got second [in the 250 Championship] last year, and we won some races and stuff. I’m feeling pretty good and I feel like I’m in a good spot right now, but it’s a little early to claim that you’re going for it. Week in and week out we’ll try to be there consistently and we’ll see where we’re at, at the end of the season.
Like you said, you were second last year and the champ graduated. Considering where you’ve come from, being one of the favorites has to feel a little different than any other season for you.
Definitely, the confidence is there. Last year I was an unknown and for me to get second was like, “Oh my god” and I was excited. Whereas now, I’m kind of pissed. (laughs)
(laughs) Sorry you’re pissed about getting second, but good day for you. We’ll see you next weekend.
Thank you.
