On Monday afternoon, Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha racer and new AMA 250 Motocross Champion Jeremy Martin began packing for the 5,000-mile flight to Latvia. There, at Kegums’ Zelta Zirgs circuit, the 21-year-old from Millville, Minnesota, will join USA teammates Ryan Dungey and Eli Tomac to take on the rest of the world at the annual Motocross of Nations. The winner of seven of twelve nationals this summer, Martin was the dominant force in the 250 Class of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross, leading the points from the first moto at Glen Helen on.
How will the MXoN rookie fare against the likes of GP legend Tony Cairoli (Italy), Dylan Ferrandis (France), Glenn Coldenhoff (Holland), Julien Lieber (Belgium), and Tommy Searle (Great Britain), to name but a few 250cc riders? His team manager, Steve Lamson—himself a past Team USA winner—said Martin is the man for the job: “By watching what I’ve been able to watch, the track the Motocross of Nations will take place on in Latvia reminds me a lot of Millville. It has hills and jumps and a lot of sand in it. Jeremy will fit in over there just fine over there.”
We checked in with Martin just before he headed out for the big show.
Racer X: Jeremy, when do you take off?
Jeremy Martin: I fly out of Tallahassee at 7 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Did you ride today?
Yeah, just a little quick riding session to try and get loose and comfortable before I head out on the long flight.
Steve Lamson told us that you’ve been practicing and training on an exact duplicate of the Yamaha YZ250F race bike that’s being pulled out of a crate over in Latvia.
Yes, for the last two or three weeks I’ve been riding the same exact bike I’ll race over there. I’m looking forward to it. I really enjoy riding this new Yamaha.
The nationals have been over for more than a month now. Has it been tough to stay in shape and keep riding, or were you okay with everything?
I was okay with it. I took two or three days off after the last outdoor race in Utah. I’ve still been going pretty hard and trying to get better so I can hopefully make a good showing at the des Nations.
Check this out: the last time an American racer competing on a Yamaha was a member of a winning Motocross of Nations team in 1993—Jeff Emig.
[Laughs] I know! I was just going to say that I was born in 1993. It’s an honor for me, and it’s going to be awesome for Yamaha to have a bike over there and be competitive for Team USA. I’ve got a great team with Eli [Tomac] and Ryan [Dungey], and I honestly can’t wait to get over there and to start racing.
With both you and Dungey hailing from Minnesota, have you been talking about the race as you guys each get ready for this thing?
Yeah, we’ve been riding together every day. We’re both at Ricky Carmichael’s Farm in Tallahassee, and we’ve been going at it pretty hard for about the last two weeks. He’s ready and I’m ready. Now it’s just time to get there and check everything out.
Do you know Eli Tomac very well?
I know Eli a little. I raced against him a little bit last year. He seems like a pretty nice guy. He does his own thing and tries to stay out of trouble. I think he’s a good guy and I think we have a good team.
The Motocross of Nations is a huge deal. What are some of your earlier memories of it as a kid?
I followed it a little bit. The biggest race that I always remember is Budds Creek back in the day when it was Ricky Carmichael and Tim Ferry and Ryan Villopoto. I remember watching it on TV and reading articles on the race in Racer X. I think Villopoto won everything on his Lites bike.
Exactly. Ryan Dungey was the AMA Rookie of the Year in 2007, and at the MXoN at Budds Creek, I remember standing next to him on the hill behind the starting gate before the first moto and him saying, “It would be a dream come true to race this race one day.” Cool stuff, huh?
[Laughs] That is cool. It’s crazy how time flies by.
How about this track in Latvia? Some people are comparing it to Millville.
Yeah, that’s what some people have been saying. I checked it out online a little bit and the track looks like it’s going to be really, really fun. It’s a little sandy, but it’s got a little bit of a hard base. It kind of reminds me of racing at my house [at Spring Creek] for the national. It’s got some jumps and it’s got some whoops and I think we’re going to have fun. I’m just really excited. I’ve never been out of the county before. This will be the first time and I also get to race.
What does this race mean to you?
First off, it means quite a bit just to be picked for the team. The team could only pick one 250 rider, and there are a lot of fast guys racing in the U.S. To be picked is just an honor in itself. To be able to go over there and experience the opportunity and race new people and meet new people is going to be awesome as well.
Have you been able to watch any of the 2014 Grand Prix motos on TV or on a computer?
No, I haven’t watched any of the GP stuff.
How about any of the GP riders—do you know of any of them? Tony Cairoli is going to compete in the MX2 class with you.
Yeah, I’ve heard of Cairoli. He’s a really strong guy. I’ve heard of [Jeffrey] Herlings as well. It’s going to be pretty cool to be able to race Tony. And it would be cool to race Jeffrey, too, but I guess he’s still on the mend from an injury.
How about the pressure that goes a long with this race? Do you feel any of that?
I don’t really find any pressure in it. I kind of feel like it’s another race and I’m going to go over there and do the best I can do and never give up. Wherever I’ll be at the end of the day, I’ll know I gave it everything I had for Team USA.
And what about racing with the bigger 450cc bikes?
I think there will be strategy. You’ll try and get a good start, and if you do, just ride solid laps and remain there. If you’re in the back of the pack, then its go time and you’ll need to make stuff happen. I think you’ll have different strategies as soon as the gate drops. Whatever plays out as far as the position you’re in will always be a little bit different.
The forecast looks pretty good for the race weekend. Maybe a little rain, but for the most part it looks pretty good.
Yeah, if it rains, bring on the rain! I enjoy riding in the rain and in some muddier conditions. I checked the forecast and it’s going to be a lot colder over there than it is here in Florida right now. But I’m not worried about it. I’m from Minnesota!
Whenever you’re at the races and they lock the camera off on you, you’ve got your helmet on, you’re looking straight ahead, and you’re not saying anything. Come race time, you come off as a very serious dude. How does that work for you?
I just think that everyone has their own thing they do when they go to the line. When I come to the line I think about what I’ve got to do and stuff. Some people are listening to music or they’re moving around and getting all pumped. Everybody kind of does their own thing. I kind of found what works for me and I stick to it. I just get serious.
I don’t get the feeling that you’re in professional motocross for the fanfare. You come off as being a guy who is out there to do one thing and that is to win…
I kind of found that when I was younger and I was racing it kind of clicked that this was what I wanted to do. If I was going to do it, I was going to do it right so that way when I look back on my career I don’t have any regrets. I do want to win, and I work hard for it, and there is no better feeling than winning, that’s for sure.
Are you going over to win?
Yeah, if I’m in the position to win, then I’m going to go for it. I mean, it would be awesome to get a win, and I’ll be pushing for that. I think we’re all going to do good together and try to bring it home.
Good luck, Jeremy.
Thanks!
