Jeremy Martin | Out For Remaining 2020 SX Races
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INSTAGRAM | @jeremymartin6
INSTAGRAM | @fchonda
Here’s an unexpected development: GEICO Honda has announced that Jeremy Martin will sit out the remaining rounds of the 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series for the 250 East Coast Region. The news comes days after Martin finished in third place in the 250 Main Event at the 2020 Salt Lake City Two Supercross and moved to fourth place in the championship standings. Points are indeed the big issue here because should Martin continue to race, he will “point out” and lose his 250 Class eligibility in the series. It’s a tricky situation, made only more complicated by the ever-changing rules over the development class (there was talk that the AMA would suspend this for 2020 due to COVID-19, but they have instead stuck to their protocol).
Moving up to the 450 Class in 2021 would be an enormous challenge for Martin, who spent more than a year and a half on the sidelines with a back injury he sustained at the 2018 Muddy Creek Motocross. That he’s back on the bike this soon has been somewhat of a surprise to those around him, because he underwent three separate surgeries to correct the damage and was unable to put in much in terms of physical effort until last summer. The 2020 season was to be a reintroduction to racing that would allow Martin to find the pace in a class that features a different dynamic among the roster of riders than when he last lined up.
It hasn’t taken Martin long to get back at it, evident in his set of podium results (third place at Tampa, Daytona, Salt Lake City Two) and current rank in the series standings. This comes at a cost, though, and to continue racing would put Martin in line to break the threshold set by the AMA. Per section 5.2 D in the 2020 rule book, “Effective with the 2007 season points, riders earning at least 135 250SX Championship points in a nine-race season, 120 250SX Championship points in an eight-race season, or 105 250SX Championship points in a seven-race season, in four seasons of 250SX competition will be ineligible for the 250SX class.”
That doesn’t mean three back-to-back seasons, but three total seasons of a rider’s career, something that Martin would clearly in line to do (143 points scored in the eight-race 2015 250 East Coast region, 147 points in the nine-race 2016 250 East Coast region, 105 thus far in the eight-race 2020 250 East Coast region). To stop racing and scoring points now would allow Martin to slip under without issue.
This raises an interesting question: is voluntarily pulling oneself out of the competition allowed? Technically, yes. There is nothing in the AMA rule book that mandates a rider must complete a full season if they are able to and there is no penalty for missing races to “preserve” one’s career. Martin Davalos and Shane McElrath have taken advantage of this in the past, which allowed Davalos an extended time in the 250 Class and McElrath the chance to contend for the championship in 2020. With Martin’s results and the progress that the GEICO Honda team has made with the current generation CRF250R, stopping now could give them a title shot in 2021.
The team’s announcement does not attempt to hide the decision behind an injury or excuse. Instead, they clearly state that the current lack of factory-supported rides in the 450 Class and their shared desire to win as much as possible with Martin in 2021 is why they have decided to stop with three points-paying races left in the SX season.
“Martin has reached the AMA’s eligibility limit of points in the 250SX class, and any additional points scored would force him into the 450 class for 2021. As there aren’t any openings in 450 factory teams in 2021, and GEICO Honda doesn’t campaign the 450SX class, Martin and his team are seeking an additional year in the 250 class to improve his performance and health in the quest to earn a factory ride in the 450SX class for 2022,” the press release explains.
“I’m 27 years old now; would I want to be racing 450? Absolutely,” Martin explained in the statement. “But sometimes you have to take the longer path, which right now is to lick my wounds and try to keep rebuilding myself in supercross, so I can win races and championships for GEICO Honda next year.”
“I’ve reached the eligibility limit for points in the 250sx class, and any additional points would force me into the 450 class for 2021. There aren’t any opportunities nor openings for me in 2021 for the 450 class. GEICO Honda doesn’t campaign the 450 SX class. I haven’t won a race yet this year and feel that before making the step to the premier class I need an additional year to improve my performance and health in the quest to earn a factory 450 ride for 2022,” Martin shared in his own separate post. “I’m 27 years old and I’d love to be in the 450 class racing but sometimes you have to take the longer path, which right now is licking my wounds and keep rebuilding myself in supercross so I can win races and championships for GEICO Honda next year!”
