Spring Creek National Motocross Park has, according to MX Sports President Davey Coombs, “the best soil in the country.”
“Every pro rider that’s ever been there will tell you that, if it’s not their absolute favorite track on the circuit, it’s on the podium,” Coombs said.
But for racer Jeremy Martin, it’s much more than that. It’s home.
Martin’s family owns the park in Millville, Minn. He and his siblings, Alex and Jennifer, were born and raised on the property. Their childhood home sits 100 yards from the track, Alex estimated. It’s where they rushed home from school to play in the creek and built jumps for BMX bikes. They rode the track on an almost daily basis.
That is, when it wasn’t in use by professionals.
This weekend, Spring Creek will host not just another round of the Pro Motocross Championship, but also a farewell. Jeremy Martin, a two-time 250 Class champion, will line up for the final time as a professional and serve as the race’s grand marshal — a full-circle ending for the Millville native.
The decision to retire wasn’t easy. Last year, Martin, 32, endured two serious crashes within six weeks, both resulting in concussions. The second one knocked him out for about six minutes, he said.
“I’d also stacked on some other injuries, and I could feel it,” Martin said. “I wasn’t really ready to take the risk anymore. I was kind of ready to try the next chapter in life.”