Over the weekend, we had the opportunity to watch Jeremy Martin line up for a gate drop for the second time since his back injury a year and a half ago. Martin made his return to racing for the first time at the Monster Energy Cup in October and, like at Monster Cup, showed solid starts and great speed at the Paris Supercross Saturday and Sunday. He won the first heat on Sunday and his 4-3-14-1-3-4 scores for 29 points total landed him fourth overall in the King of Paris standings.
While Martin raced a CRF450R again in Paris, he is still expected to race the 250SX East Region of Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship come February.
Following the race, Matthes caught up with Martin to talk about his weekend.
Racer X: Good job this weekend. Late notice again to race. Your starts were on point. A little bit of arm pump like we talked about at dinner. I think you got to be overall pretty stoked on your weekend.
Even Monster Cup two out of three were good.
Yeah, I think you were real close, in the same second. Maybe a couple tenths off, but close.
It was good for you, like we talked at lunch, just gate drops are such a big deal for you now at this point. Monster Cup, this thing, it really all matters.
Like Barcia and Friese.
Bam Bam came up on me. I knew that those guys, they caught me for a reason. My biggest thing was I put myself in a great position. I wasn’t going to jack with Bam Bam.
I think the one he came in on you, the turn after the whoops, that’s why you jacked the whoop up. You were like, “Oh, it’s Bam Bam.”
But even getting that one win in, it’s a shorter race but it’s got to feel good.
I think it counts and it matters, for a guy like you. That’s a big deal.
A lot of laps this weekend, man.
I don’t know if I should ask you this, but when do we stop asking about how your back feels?
Does the media need to stop asking you about it?
You look like the same guy to me on the bike. I’m kind of watching you. It’s been a year and a half, and at Monster Cup and here, you look like the same guy to me.
You’re neutral on the bike, neutral body position, but it looks the same.
Good to see you back again. This will be it before you decide whichever coast you’re going to ride?
I think you were the most impressive rider this weekend for me as far as going in, and then what you did on the track. I think that was pretty impressive.