Current GEICO Honda 250SX rider Jeremy Martin will make his 450SX debut at Daytona Supercross on March 11. Martin will move over to the Honda HRC rig as a fill-in for the injured Ken Roczen. The move will only be for a round, as Martin will transition back to GEICO Honda and a 250 after the race to prepare for the remainder of the 250SX West Region and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross.
“I’m beyond excited that American Honda is giving me the opportunity to ride a factory CRF450R,” stated Martin. “I’m also looking forward to making my debut in the premier class at Daytona, one of the most hyped up supercross races of all time. Everyone loves Daytona due to it being so different so I’m excited to go race the best guys in the world. I’d love to get a solid finish for Honda since they sponsor the event.”
The move makes a lot of sense, as Martin, currently ninth in 250SX West Region points, signed a two-year deal this off-season with GEICO with an option to move to the 450 Class in 2018. Daytona will give Martin a chance to get his feet wet in 450SX, as well as give the team a look at how Martin might adjust to the bigger bike.
Honda, which is the title sponsor of Daytona, also surely wants more riders—currently with Cole Seely as the lone rider in the factory truck—representing the brand at their big event.
Martin is currently already testing with HRC.
“We’re excited to have Jeremy riding for us at the Daytona Supercross,” said Team Honda HRC manager Dan Betley. “Despite only a short amount of time on the bike, he already feels very comfortable so I’m confident in his ability to deliver a solid result. I’d like to thank GEICO Honda for making Jeremy available to us for this race.”
