CycleTrader/Rock River Yamaha’s Alex Martin Finishes 250SX West Season on Podium
- Apr 22, 2015
In 2009, Rock River Powersports’ owner Mike DuClos felt helpless when his first supported rider made the transition to the pro ranks with little to no support of his race program. The Rock River Racing pro team was quickly formed in order to provide a stepping stone for amateur riders that were moving up into the professional ranks. The team partnered with Yamaha Motor USA to support its own riders and to provide trackside services at all professional events. After multiple years of success and increased notoriety in the motocross industry, CycleTrader.com joined the team in November of 2013 as the official title sponsor. Thanks to the addition of CycleTrader to the Rock River Racing program, the team underwent a branding overhaul and positioned themselves as an important entity in the world of supercross and motocross racing. The Rock River Powersports team has relied on the superior airflow and superior performance of K&N air and oil filters since 2010. Supercross (SX) is a form of dirt bike racing that can trace its roots to the sport of motocross (MX). Whereas motocross takes place on courses built primarily on natural terrain, supercross races are made from dirt hauled into open stadiums and covered domes. The track amplifies all the exciting obstacles of outdoor motocross racing, such as jumps, turns, and bumps, but puts them in easy view for spectators. Modern supercross racing is divided into two distinct racing classes: the 450SX Class and the 250SX Class. The 250SX Class is mostly made up of aspiring young racers on 250cc four-stroke motorcycles. The class is split into East and West Regions, each of which crowns its own champion. At the final race of the season in Las Vegas, Nevada the East and West regions meet in the East-West Shootout.
Alex Martin, a 25 year-old Millville, Minnesota native, is the sole member of the CycleTrader.com/Rock River Yamaha race team competing in the 250SX West Region class. Alex Martin carried back-to-back 5th place finishes into the 15th and final round of the 250SX West region 2015 Monster Energy / AMA Supercross season. This was the Monster Energy / AMA Supercross series’ first ever stop at the brand new home of the NFL San Francisco 49ers football team, Levi’s Stadium, in Santa Clara, California. The race got off to a great start for Alex Martin when he ended qualifying practice 4th fastest with a 51.624 best time. This was Martin’s strongest qualifying performance of the year thus far, and he looked to carry the momentum into the night program later that evening. Martin continued the momentum he gained during qualifying and managed to grab the holeshot in 250SX West region Heat 1 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Alex Martin remained at the front of the pack and led the field in the inaugural racing lap at Levi’s Stadium. Martin dropped to 4th on lap two following a mistake in one of the rhythm sections. He was able to stay in the thick of the leading pack eventually passing Josh Hansen for 3rd place on lap 4 and held that position through the end of the heat. Martin’s third place finish in his heat race equaled his season best heat race performance during the Oakland round of Monster Energy / AMA Supercross.
The 250SX West region main event at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California began with one of the biggest first turn pileups seen all season. Alex Martin played it smart and emerged from the chaos on two wheels and in 2nd place. By lap two Martin dropped to 3rd and remained there for the next 6 laps. Martin lost another position, falling back to 4th on lap 8, however he was able to regain 3rd place two laps later when Aaron Plessinger crashed. Martin rode the remaining laps incredibly smart, resisting a late race charge by Malcolm Stewart and holding on to 3rd place all the way to the checkered flag. This was Alex Martin’s second podium performance of the year, and an emotional finish to a great Supercross season. “I was fortunate enough to keep it on two wheels the whole race and avoid all of the carnage going on around me. I'm really happy to finish the season strong with my second podium of the year in Santa Clara, and just want to thank everyone that has been behind me all season," said Martin. Martin finished 6th in the Overall Points Standings which happens to be the best of his career and highest finish ever for the CycleTrader.com/Rock River Yamaha Team. The 2015 Monster Energy / AMA Supercross 250SX West Region series has been a great ride for the CycleTrader.com/Rock River Yamaha team. Fellow team members Luke Renzland and Nick Desiderio will finish the 2015 Monster Energy / AMA Supercross 250SX East Region series in Rutherford, New Jersey on April 25th. East and West 250SX racers will meet up in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 2nd for the East-West Shootout. K&N was formed by Ken Johnson and Norm McDonald in the early 1960’s. The duo ran a motorcycle dealership selling Yamaha and Indian motorcycles as well as their own line of motorcycle accessories. Ken and Norm were avid motorcycle racers and they channeled their passion for the sport into a rather large K&N race team. In those early days K&N helped foster the careers of many influential names in the world of motorcycle racing. That tradition of supporting the sport of motorcycle racing continues today. K&N believes in supporting racers at the uppermost level as well as up and coming racers competing in grassroots racing. K&N is proud to sponsor the CycleTrader.com/Rock River Yamaha race team. The CycleTrader.com/Rock River Yamaha race team relies on K&N Motocross air filters YA-4514XD and K&N performance oil filters KN-140 to keep the team’s Yamaha YZ450F and YZ250F motorcycles running smoothly. To find K&N performance replacement air filters for your motorcycle, ATV, or just about anything with an engine, use the search by vehicle tool. To find an authorized K&N dealer near you, use the Find Dealer search function. |
||||||
 |
||||||
|
||||||
|
