Image: Spencer Owens / Pro Motocross.

On the heels of a shoulder injury sustained in round one of the Monster Energy Supercross season, two-time 250MX champion Jeremy Martin is excited to line up aboard his Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha this weekend as he looks to secure a 450 ride for 2022.

It’s been long known that Martin is ready to move into the premier class and the Minnesota native is looking to prove why he deserves a spot on a 450 team as the gate drops on the 2021 Pro Motocross championship at Fox Raceway on Saturday.

“I would love to be able to have a good showing here in the outdoors to lock a 450 ride,” Martin explained. “That would be the ultimate goal. A lot of people, if I’m being honest, don’t question me about my outdoor riding or any of that stuff, what they want to see is a 250 championship and a really good season.

“I think that’s kind of the last piece of the puzzle that I’m really kind of looking for, or other people that are in a position to give me a 450 ride are kind of looking for. For me, I was obviously injured this year and I didn’t get to show anything [in Supercross].

“So now the focus is on the outdoors and we’ll just try to make the best of that and see what happens, hopefully, I can get a ride somewhere [laughs].”

Martin made the switch from the now disbanded Geico Honda team at the end of last season, reverting back to the Star Racing Yamaha that propelled him to both of his 250MX championships, noting the significant difference between the two bikes.

“It’s been fun to get back on the Yamaha,” he continued. “For one, I’ve been back home in Minnesota doing a lot of riding and just to see the difference in lap times from what I was doing on the Geico bike.

“Obviously I was really fast and there was a good gauge there, but now to come back and to be on this bike and see the difference in speed and the amount of I guess you could say effort it takes to continue to go that speed has been very cool to see.

“So, you know I’m comfortable so it’s kind of time to try to make something happen on this Yamaha because I haven’t done anything yet this year, I’ve just been patiently waiting to be able to race.”

Martin and the rest of the 2021 250MX class will take to the track Saturday 29 May for the first of 12 rounds of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross.