Alex Martin Interview

Alex Martin is brimming with confidence, and he has reason to be.

The 27-year-old Minnesotan is coming off the best season of his professional motocross career, winning motos, posting his first career overall win during round two of the 2016 Lucas Oil 250cc Pro Motocross Championship at Glen Helen Raceway in Southern California and backing it up with another overall win at the Washougal, Washington, later in the year. Consistent performances throughout 2016 vaulted him to a runner-up finish in the final series standings, and that not only allowed him to step away from the tall shadow cast by his younger brother, Jeremy Martin, it also helped him to land a new factory ride after it was clear that he would not be part of the Yamalube Star Racing Yamaha factory team in 2017.

Alex Martin has found a home on the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM factory team for the 2017 250cc supercross and 250cc outdoor seasons, and he is ready to prove not only that his 2016 outdoor results were no fluke but that he can step up and get the job done in supercross as well.

DirtBikes.com: So, how weird does this transition feel for you?

Alex Martin: It’s actually been exciting. It has been a breath of fresh air after eight years of being a privateer for most of it and then having one year with the factory Yamaha team. It’s just been a lot of fun.

DirtBikes.com: What were the circumstances that brought you to the Troy Lee Designs KTM team?

Alex Martin: Yamaha already had four guys, and I obviously had a rough supercross season, so it’s safe to say that people weren’t exactly jumping to sign me. But I don’t think that anyone expected me to come out the way that I did in the outdoor season, to win Glen Helen and to be in the championship hunt right off the bat. That just wasn’t expected, so it really changed a lot for me. It turned around my whole season in the blink of an eye. It was exciting to be in that position. It bought me a little bit of wiggle room and made things easier. KTM was really wanting to have me on the team, and it was exciting that someone wanted me.

DirtBikes.com: How much confidence has that given you?

Alex Martin: Tons, and I’m not putting a lot of pressure on myself.

DirtBikes.com: Why not?

Alex Martin: Well, with doing the Motocross of Nations, that was a huge experience for me, and to have that much pressure on one day and in one event has served me well for the future. Going into supercross with a new team and with their expectations, I just feel like that level of pressure is going to help me. In the day, in the moment at the Motocross of Nations, that was nerve wracking. But it’s like training. When you’ve already trained, that makes the race days easier.

DirtBikes.com: Describe the experience of representing the USA in the Motocross of Nations.

Alex Martin: It was really exciting. Italy is a beautiful country, and I would like to go back there more because it was such a cool place. And when you have 40,000 or 50,000 fans, and they’re running chainsaws and making all that noise, it’s amazing. And to be on Team USA, just three guys representing our country, was a huge honor. All things considered, with the bad luck that seemed to be evident, I think we did pretty well. It was a blast, and hopefully I can be part of it again in the future.

DirtBikes.com: In light of last season, you are maybe now more recognized as an outdoor guy than a supercross guy, but everyone wants to be recognized for both. What do you think?

Alex Martin: That touches on my main goal for 2017, to prove to people that I am a supercross guy and that I can do both. The circumstances I had with Yamaha last winter…There were definitely some things that I did wrong on my part with testing and training and things like that. Now I’m out to prove that I can be competitive in supercross. Obviously I proved that I can do that outdoors, but the goal going forward is to prove that I can do that in supercross.

DirtBikes.com: There must obviously be some sort of different dynamic now between you and your brother, Jeremy. Last year you were teammates, and now you are at Troy Lee Designs KTM and he is over at GEICO Honda.

Alex Martin: It’s definitely different. Last year, with us being on the same team, I don’t think he considered me a threat. He had won the outdoor championship two years in a row, and he had been winning supercross. It’s definitely different now, having proven to him and everyone and myself that now I am more of a threat outdoors. So, it has changed our relationship a little bit at the track.

DirtBikes.com: But not off the track.

Alex Martin: Off the track it’s the same as ever. We just had a nice family Thanksgiving together. Everything is the same on that front.

DirtBikes.com: What has been the toughest thing to get used to on your new KTM?

Alex Martin: There hasn’t been anything that has been tough to get used to. I guess the radiator shrouds on the KTM are a little bit different than the radiator shrouds on the Yamaha. The overall feel of the KTM, being that it has a steel frame, is a little different. But there is nothing that has been different in a bad way. It’s just a matter of getting used to it, and basically looking at that orange front fender. [laughs] There’s just a few little things like that. It really only takes a couple weeks and then you feel like you’re right at home.

DirtBikes.com: What have you focused on in testing?

Alex Martin: Well, for supercross we are just making sure that the bike is balanced and that it is stiff enough that holds up in the rhythm sections, stuff like that.

DirtBikes.com: Have you made any changes off the bike, such as to your training program or other areas?

Alex Martin: Yeah. With Star Racing I was training with Gareth Swanepoel, and now I’ll be training with Tyla Rattray over at TLD; he is the team trainer. I think as far as training, what I did last pre-season with the Yamaha team, I don’t think I’ll ever train that hard or that much again. The volume was way more than I think was necessary, especially for supercross. If anything, I don’t think I’ll ever put in that many hours again in my career because I’ve just found ways to train a little bit less but to get more out of it.

DirtBikes.com: What is the biggest impression that has been made on you since you joined the Troy Lee Designs KTM team?

Alex Martin: I’m really impressed with just how involved they are in motocross. It’s huge. They’re a motorcycle company and not involved in other avenues, and their turnaround rate and their ability to work with riders is very impressive to me.

DirtBikes.com: Where do you see yourself come next May at the end of the supercross season? What is going to make you happy?

Alex Martin: I think it’s safe to say that I’ll be happy if I am in the championship hunt or leading the points. That’s the goal. Now, with having success outdoors and being on the podium and winning throughout that season, that’s just what I expect of myself no matter what. I think that’s what the team expects as well.

DirtBikes.com: Anything else you’d like to add?

Alex Martin: I think we’ve covered all the bases. I’m just excited to go racing and to see what this KTM 250 SX-F can do in supercross and outdoors next year.