Rob Koy

Alex Martin's Day at Spring Creek MX 2017

Alex went 2-4 for 2nd overall at round 8.

July 24, 2017

At Spring Creek Motocross Park in Millville, MN, the eighth round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Series, we tracked Troy Lee Designs/KTM Alex Martin’s day at his home track. Alex grew up at the Millville track as his parents have owned the track for many years. Alex Martin goes from weed whacking as a kid to the 2nd overall 250 podium at the 8th round of the series.

The day starts every week with the riders meeting in the morning. It's a chance for riders like Alex to catch up with the other riders before the day gets underway.Rob Koy

With Spring Creek being the home race for Alex, there was a lot of media interviews that need to be done after the riders meeting for the TV show.Rob Koy

Alex knows that when he comes home to Millville the media likes to pump up the rivalry between him and his brother Jeremy. Alex gets one more interview with NBCSN before the 1st practice.Rob Koy

Alex Martin’s Troy Lee Designs Redbull/Gopro KTM sits under the tent before the 1st practice session gets underway.Rob Koy

Alex Martin’s mechanic Jordan Troxell does some last minute air pressure adjustments before the 1st practice. Jordan thought he might have walked into the shot.Rob Koy

In the 1st timed practice session Alex waited until the field took off before he went out during the 5 minute wheels-on-the-ground session before the timed practice. Let's face it Alex only needed one lap to check out the conditions before the practice session started.Rob Koy

Alex turned his best lap of the session on lap 3 with a 2:42.420 for the 10th fastest time of the 1st session.Rob Koy

Alex said the 1st practice was an absolute mudder with some sections being very wet and spongy while other sections were ok. Alex over the Chadapulte in his 1st lap of the session and the mud was already covered on his bike.

Alex and Jordan on the line for the 2nd practice and the Star Yamaha guys are checking out the rear tire on Alex Martin’s bike. Alex ran a rear sand tire all day with the wet conditions in the morning to the drier sandy conditions at the end of the day.Rob Koy

Alex works on his starts during the 5-minute start session before the 2nd timed practice.Rob Koy

Alex said that his father brought in 100 loads of sand before the national to spread on the track and with the rain on Wednesday and Friday, the sand helped absorb the moisture. Here Alex goes through a sea of sand before the whoop section.Rob Koy

Alex leads his brother though the whoops in the 2nd timed session. Alex turn a 2:33.892 on his 5th lap for his best time of the session which was good for the 7th fastest time. Alex said that he struggled in practice and couldn’t hang it out or get a clean lap in the sessions and actually tipped over three times.Rob Koy

Alex and Jeremy Martin did a dual start before the 1st Moto on their sight lap for the hometown Millville fans.Rob Koy

Alex got a good start in the 1st Moto and stayed in 2nd place for the whole Moto. Alex said that the track was very spongy from the rain and the added sand. Here he takes the outside line over by the Lucas Oil tent in turn 3.Rob Koy

Alex getting ready to attack the rollers that start the whoop section by the creek.Rob Koy

Alex takes the main line in this turn as the inside rut was a bit of an off chamber and the outside ruts were to soft and would bog you down in the 1st Moto.Rob Koy

Alex and his trainer Tyla Rattray discuss the 1st Moto behind the podium. Alex said that Joey Savatgy ran a good race and he was waiting for a mistake from Joey to get by him but lappers held up Alex and Joey was able to pull a gap on him and take the win.Rob Koy

Alex said that his reaction time was not good off the start in the 2nd Moto and he had to work his way though the field in the opening laps.Rob Koy

The triple going up Mt. Martin was rutted and soft making it hard for the 250s to hit it on every lap. Alex said the face was too soft as he didn’t hit the triple in the 2nd Moto.Rob Koy

The downhill section of Mt. Martin is were Alex was making up some time as he would go for it coming down the hill while others would just coast and try to miss the bigger braking bumps.Rob Koy

Alex takes the inside in on the turn before climbing up Mt. Martin. This turn played havoc on riders as the ruts got deep on the inside lines and the outside ruts were still soft and would stop riders in their tracks as they sunk into the rut as the entered it.Rob Koy

Alex doubling the triple on Mt. Martin at the end of Moto 2. Only a couple guys were still going for it in Moto 2 but not every lap.Rob Koy

Alex hugs the inside rut of this turn instead of taking the deeper ruts on the outside.Rob Koy

On the next lap Alex did venture to the outside deep rut and notice how much his bike is swallowed up in the spongy rut. Alex said that he has never seen his home track get this soft and rutted before, but with over 4 inches of rain this week leading up to the race the track turned out as good as one could expect and the 2nd Moto the track was to his liking.Rob Koy

Alex entering into another rutted turn. Alex was able to move up to 6th place on lap 3 and held that position until lap 12 when he was able to get by his brother Jeremy who fell over and Adam Cianciarulo to finish in 4th place.Rob Koy

Alex was worked after the 2nd Moto.Rob Koy

The heat and humidity was high after the Friday rain storm and made it a difficult day for everyone. At the end of the 2nd Moto the riders needed to cool off and get their core temperatures back down after the 35 minute Moto. Alex said that the track took a lot out of you and the 2nd Moto it was more technical then usual with all the ruts.

Alex Martin went 2-4 for 2nd overall in his parents back yard at Spring Creek Motocross Park.Rob Koy

Alex was going to spend the rest of the day after the race to catch up with family and friends before he would head back to the Bakers Factory in Florida and prepare for Washougal next week. Alex summed up the day that he was able to make up points on Zach Osborne and beat his brother in their sand box.