Martin Davalos | Last Call
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The 2019 Las Vegas Supercross was a turning point in Martin Davalos’ career. After years and 101 Main Event starts in the 250 class, the likable South American had surpassed the threshold amount of points allowed to retain eligibility and from 2020 on, will have to race the 450 class if he wants to be a competitor in the Monster Energy Supercross Series. Debates about Davalos, a rider that first lined up in the pro ranks of Supercross in 2006, staying in what is widely considered a development division have raged for years but he simply shrugged off the drama and rarely retorted in a negative way. He has instead repeatedly explained that his desires were to race in the 450 class, but that no teams had offered him a deal or one that was comparable to the paying possibilities of the 250 class. Criticize that all you want, but racing is a job and Davalos wants to get paid what he’s worth for his job.
On the morning of Davalos’ last 250 Supercross in Las Vegas, we spent a few moments with the current Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki and discussed the entire situation. As it stands, this could very well be the last year of his racing career, because his contract is set to run through the full twelve round 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship season, and there has been little in the way of well-known negotiations with a 450 team for 2020. A look at his past results in the 250 and a single outdoor season in the 450 class (which was during his stint with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) prove that yes, he has the qualifications to earn a contract. “In 2017 on the 450, I thought I did decent for it being my rookie year. To have three podiums was great and I thought it was going to open up some doors,” he explained of his summer on the big bike. “But there’s so much talent out there that it was tough.” When no 450 came along for 2018 and beyond, Mitch Payton offered Davalos another chance on the Kawasaki-supported squad and they crew set their sights on a 250 SX title. “I love Mitch and the vibe of the team, so I feel at home. It’s a great way to exit the class.”
“I did the deal, prepared myself, then had the first-turn pile-up and my whole year was destroyed. I blew my ACL and had a broken C7 in my neck,” he recalled of the vicious first-turn crash at the 2018 Arlington Supercross. “At the time, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to race, but once I got healthy, there wasn’t a question and I knew I was going to give it a shot in 2019.” There have been lingering issues from that crash this year, namely brachial plexus edema, which is damage to the nerves that send signals from the spinal cord to the arms. Davalos said that the nerve injury causes his hand and arm to lock up and when it prevented him from having a normal training and practice routine, he underwent a procedure in the middle of the Supercross season to alleviate it. Despite this, Davalos managed to win the 250 Main Event at the 2019 Nashville Supercross and finished fourth overall in the series standings. “I feel like I had an okay year, but I should have run at the front. I have been dealing with the neck issues, but I had a Main Event win. 101 races is a lot and I’m proud of what I have achieved.”
The summer has not started off particularly well for Davalos; a crash in the muddy 250 Moto Two at the 2019 Hangtown Motocross has left him with a rib injury and cartilage damage, which is as slow to heal as it is painful, and he’s going to be a question mark at the second round of the season this weekend. This is a major setback, as he needs to score as many points, podium finishes, and moto wins to land some sort of deal from a factory team. Still, Davalos has remained upbeat about the issue and his post-race posts and interviews prove that he’s enjoying everything about pro racing while it’s promised to him.
What happens if a factory contract in the 450 class doesn’t come through? We asked Davalos this directly during our talk in Las Vegas and he was forthcoming in the answer. “I would like to close my career on the 450. I would hate to step away, but I have done what I needed to do. I have a baby coming and I know that there is life after motocross,” he shared. But to do something similar to Dean Wilson, by building a competitive privateer effort and waiting for a fill-in ride, is not something he is interested in at this stage of his career. “If I was twenty-four or twenty-five, I would be there for sure. But I’m going to be thirty-three next year. Don’t get me wrong, my body has struggled a bit, but I feel great. I love racing and I wouldn’t even think twice about racing if I got the opportunity. But to dig into my savings, after all of the effort and sacrifices over the years, I want to make my family proud and comfortable. I want to be there for them. It would be heartbreaking for sure, if it comes to it, but at the end of the day I have something to look forward to.”
If it were to end this year, Davalos seems like he would be at peace with everything. As a someone that came practically alone from Ecuador to America as a teenager, stayed in the States thanks to lifelong friend Davi Millsaps and some support as an amateur, then raced for sixteen years in the professional ranks as some sort of factory rider, Davalos knows he’s had a great run. “A lot of people don’t know the story behind my life and what I have done. Coming to America and being nobody, in the amateur scenario that I wasn’t used to where I had a short career of B and A and then pro,” he said. “I podiumed that first year as a rookie and it opened a lot of doors for me. The ladder that I climbed, I’ll be able to tell my kid that hard work pays off. I made a name for myself in the sport and I’m racing for the best team in the world. I have been with Mitch for four years and it feels great. I know that when I retire, I will be proud of what I have done.”
