Jeremy Martin came into Southwick third in the points standings 34 points behind Cooper Webb. Jeremy said that he is tired of losing and he wants to win. He said that he has the number one plate for a reason and that he wants to make it tough on the guys that want to take it away. Jeremy wants to take the title chase down to the last moto of the season and let the best rider win. In the first timed practice, Jeremy got out there quick to try to turn his fast lap in the early laps since the Southwick track gets rougher after every lap. Jeremy’s plan did not work as he wanted because his fast times were recorded on the last two laps of the session. Jeremy turned a 2:06.485 for the 5th fastest time in group A.Photo by Rob Koy
Jeremy takes the inside line through the famous Buckley’s Berm in the second timed practice. Jeremy was a little over three seconds slower in the second session which is the norm at Southwick. Jeremy turned a 2:09.459 for the 5th fastest time in session two. Jeremy qualified 5th overall and got the 5th gate pick for moto one.Photo by Rob Koy
Jeremy getting in the zone for the first moto start at Southwick.Photo by Rob Koy
Jeremy got the holeshot after the first turn but Shane McElrath got the lead for the opening laps in moto one. Here, Jeremy and his Star Racing teammate Aaron Plessinger put the pressure on Shane. Jeremy would go into the lead around the twelve-minute mark.Photo by Rob Koy
Jeremy got into the lead at the twelve-minute mark and had some pressure from Aaron for a few laps before Jeremy was able to sprint away. Jeremy was taking a lot of outside lines in the first moto and later said that he was experiencing arm pump for the whole moto.Photo by Rob Koy
Jeremy was able to put a gap on second place Arnaud Tonus from the halfway point until the last quarter of the race Cooper Webb came through the pack and started to catch Jeremy at the end of the race. Jeremy said that his forks felt too harsh in the first moto causing arm pump, he backed it down a little to be able to finish the race with the lead. Here, Jeremy sticks to an outside rut and takes the corner all the way out to the grass edge.Photo by Rob Koy
Between the motos Jeremy’s Star Racing team went ahead and made an internal fork change to correct the harsh feel that Jeremy was complaining about. Jeremy almost got another holeshot in moto two but his teammate Cooper Webb swept the outside and was credited with the holeshot. Jeremy lost a few positions and was shuffled back to 5th place after the start as the outside carried the momentum down the straight. Around the fourteen-minute, mark Jeremy lost his front end in the Buckle berm and took a little time to pick his bike up and get going. He was back to 12th place and had to work his way through the field if he wanted a podium spot at Southwick.Photo by Rob Koy
Jeremy stuck to the outside lines again in moto two. Here, if you look at Jeremy’s boot you can see that he is upshifting through this right sweeper two turns after Buckley’s berm. Most of the riders were going with the inside on this sweeper and taking the inside on the following right sweeper. Jeremy and a few other guys were keeping to the outside and keeping their speed up all the way through the turn. It was a very fast line that Tomac and Roczen were using as well.Photo by Rob Koy
Jeremy keeping the front end light though this outside berm. The Southwick track seemed to have a hard base to it, many riders and their teams were swapping back and forth between the sand paddle tire and the traditional soft tire. In moto two, Jeremy went for the Dunlop MX11 sand paddle tire for the start as the cornering characteristics of this tire are very loose with not as much side bite.Photo by Rob Koy
Jeremy was able to move up to 4th place by the end of the moto by bulldogging it though the pack and a couple riders with bad luck that fell on the last few laps. Jeremy Martin went 1-4 for 2nd overall at Southwick, Jeremy said he’s ready to go home this week and (literally) race in his backyard… Millville. Jeremy said it’s been a while since he’s been on the podium but he plans on being there the rest of the season. He said that he is starting to feel better from his undisclosed medical condition and he has the energy to do the thirty plus two-lap motos. Jeremy also said that the bikes are getting much better; he and the team got the feel that he is looking for. He hopes that his brother and him can race for the win next week at Spring Creek in Millville, Minnesota, and that it is going to take a battle to take this number one plate from him.Photo by Rob Koy
