Drama-filled Moto 2 at Washougal National

Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing’s Jeremy Martin came out on top in a drama-filled Moto 2 at yesterday’s Washougal National to secure back-to-back overall victories in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross 250 class with a 3-1 result. Justin Cooper won the first moto but crashed late in the second moto. The points leader soldiered on to join his teammate on the podium in third and expand his lead in the championship. Unfortunately, Colt Nichols also crashed in the final laps of Moto 2 and was unable to finish, ending the day 15th overall. Jarrett Frye also had a tough day in the challenging conditions, finishing right behind his teammate in 16th.

Martin had a great start to the day, qualifying second and was fifth after Lap 1 of the first moto. He worked his way forward into striking distance of the final podium spot just before the halfway mark, and then made the pass for third where he ultimately finished. In the second moto, he got a better start and quickly grabbed second behind his teammate. The Minnesotan tried to take the lead, but Cooper held him off. Another challenger closed the gap, so Martin made his move before the sixth lap with an inside pass before the whoops. He then put his head down and built a gap up front to secure his fifth moto win of the season and his second-straight overall victory.

Cooper showed strength straight away, securing his fifth-fastest qualifier honors of the season. He got a good start in the first moto and took the lead from the runner-up spot on Lap 3. The red-plate holder kept cool under pressure and then dropped the hammer in the final laps with the fastest lap of the race on the penultimate lap to secure his fourth moto win of the season. The New Yorker backed that up with his sixth holeshot of the year in Moto 2. After Martin passed him on Lap 5, he was under attack from the competition but held off their advances and was able to build a comfortable gap. Once again, he picked up the pace in the final laps and closed the gap on his teammate, but had a get-off going up Horsepower Hill with two laps to go. Cooper rejoined the race and soldiered on to finish eighth, salvaging points for third overall and expanding his lead in the championship to eight points.

Nichols had a solid first moto, finishing eighth in the challenging conditions. In the second moto, he tried to make his way through the pack after starting the race in 15th but had a couple of crashes, the second one coming in the final laps of the race. The Oklahoman injured his shoulder and was unable to rejoin the race, ending the day 15th overall. Nichols will seek evaluation after the weekend and an update will follow.

Frye got a good start in the top 10 in Moto 1, but then also got caught out in the unforgiving conditions and crashed on the opening lap. The 20-year-old rejoined the race and fought his way back from 28th to 18th. In the second moto, he was behind his teammate in 16th after the start and battled to improve to 13th for 16th overall.

The Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing team gets a couple of weekends off before the Unadilla National on August 14, Round 8 of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship in New Berlin, New York.

Seth Rarick

Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing

“It was a great day with Jeremy backing up his win from Millville with another one here at Washougal. It should’ve been a 1-2 day for Yamaha but unfortunately, Justin’s crash at the end of the second moto put him eighth and third overall. The good news is that he salvaged the race to still gain some points and that he’s leaving here healthy, so we’ll be ready to go for Unadilla. Unfortunately, Colt had a big get-off at the end of the race as well and will have his shoulder evaluated after the weekend. Jarrett struggled with a track that he’s never been to, but we will keep chipping away during the break so he can finish the season strong.”

Jeremy Martin

Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing

“This one’s for Bobby Reagan (team owner)!  He told me, ‘I don’t know if you’ve got what it takes to win Washougal,’ and that’s all the motivation I needed. I know I got a little bit of a gift. It was a bummer to see Justin go down, you hate to see anybody go down like that. I’m just really happy to walk away from Washougal with a moto win and a spot on the podium. This track is super tricky and it will bite you if you’re not careful!”

Justin Cooper

Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing

 

“The track was tricky and made for some good racing. Everyone was riding well out there so it was a battle. In the first moto, I felt the company behind me and I knew we had a while to go so I was just riding my own laps. RJ (Hampshire) got on my back wheel and I just made sure that I made a push at the end and was glad to bring home that win.

“In the second moto, I was trying to make a push for Jeremy and got a weird kick, and it spit me off. The bike was on a really tough spot on the hill, so it was hard to get up and back in the race. I’m really disappointed to throw away a win, but I’m happy with how the day went as a whole and want to keep the feeling that I had today with the bike going into the final rounds.”

 

Colt Nichols

Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing

“Washougal was definitely one to forget. It started out well qualifying in the top five, and I had a good start in the first moto but we just struggled out there. I was pushing hard to come back through the pack in the second moto and unfortunately took a hard knock late in the race. We’re going to get looked at on Monday and hopefully will be back on the gate at Unadilla.”

Jarrett Frye

Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing

“It was a tough day at an all-new track. It was definitely a tricky one and I was struggling all day to find my flow. I had a good start in the first moto, but crashed on the first lap and had to fight my way back to 18th. That kind of set me back in the second moto, but I kept pushing and finished 13th for 16th overall. We’re going to keep working during the break and come back stronger in the final stretch of the season.”

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