It’s a rarity in sports when an athlete gets to retire on their own terms and it’s even more rare when they actually win that final competition in front of their home crowd. But that’s exactly what happened this past weekend at the FXR Spring Creek National, Round 24 of the outdoor Pro Motocross portion of the SMX World Championship. Millville native Jeremy Martin, a two-time 250 Class Champion, stunned the hometown crowd when he jetted off the starting gate first, capturing the holeshot for the first moto of the day and landing on the podium with a third place finish over defending champion Haiden Deegan and Japan’s Jo Shimoda. That would have been enough for the packed crowd in attendance, but deep down everyone was quietly hoping for more. During the second and final moto of the day, Martin again got off to a great start with another holeshot and although challenged at times, led almost the entire final race of his 13-year professional career, delivering a goosebump-filled storybook finish. Martin grew up a mere 100 yards from the racetrack, which is owned and operated by his family.
Remarking on the moment, Martin called it “a fairytale kind of ending,” admitting he was nearly in tears at the gate and rode with “heart,” honoring the Martin family’s legacy at Spring Creek, which the family has owned since 1988.
Jeremy Martin Combined (SMX) Career Stats:
- 26 SMX League wins (26th all-time; 4th all-time in Pro Motocross)
- 66 SMX League podiums (33rd all-time; 2nd all-time in Pro Motocross)
- 101/154 (66%) Career Top-5 percentage
- 125/154 (81%) Career Top-10 percentage
- 3 Wins, 6 Podiums at home track of Spring Creek
