Image: Octopi Media.

Monster Energy Supercross veteran Martin Davalos has announced his retirement, effective immediately, after being injured in press day at Salt Lake City 1.

Davalos broke his collarbone and was concussed on Friday at Rice-Eccles Stadium, prematurely ending his career two rounds before he was due to call time on his career.

In an emotion-charged social media post from Utah directly following his incident, the Team Tedder Monster Energy Racing KTM rider – originally from Ecuador – confirmed that the decision had already been made, however, this injury brought the timeline forward by one week.

“I am sitting here with my eyes tearing up thinking about how amazing my career has been… how I came to the States when I was 15 years old, alone and as a nobody from such a small country,” Davalos stated. “I left my family behind to do what I loved the most, which was to race my motorcycle.

“I am so grateful that my family sacrificed so much to help my dream come true and I am proud of all I’ve achieved. With that being said, I have decided it is time for me to hang my boots up and step away from racing.

“My plan was to retire after the last round, but unfortunately during press day today I had a crash that caused a broken collarbone and concussion.

“This career has been full of highs and lows, but I have accomplished things I never thought or dreamed of doing and I’m so thankful to the lord for allowing me to do so. There have been so many who have helped me along the way and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making an impact in my career.

“To all the fans that have followed my career over these last 15 years, thank you for your support – it means the world to me. And the [Alpinestars] medical unit for always taking care of me. I am looking forward to new beginnings!”

At 34, Davalos was 450SX rookie of the year in 2020 after finally securing an opportunity to move into the premier class. He was 13th in the standings last year, earning a best result of fifth in Atlanta.

With two rounds remaining this season he currently sits 12th in the championship, appearing in all 15 main events so far and finishing a high of ninth at Arlington 2. Atlanta saw him race to 12th in all three residency outings, marking a consistent end to his career.

Davalos’ career in the US professional ranks has spanned a full 15 years since debuting in 2006, finishing a best of second in the 2014 250SX East championship with Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki. An injury due to a mechanical while leading the championship with two rounds remaining dashed his title hopes that year.