04.11.2018
Round 6 (Finale) - AMA EnduroCross & Round 7 - AMA Big 6 Grand Prix Series
MURRIETA, Calif. – It was an outstanding weekend for FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Kacy Martinez, who outperformed her competition at Saturday’s AMA EnduroCross finale to capture the 2018 Women’s Championship in Boise, Idaho before making the trek to Gorman, California to ultimately clinch the WCGP Women Pro Championship with a second-place finish at Sunday’s penultimate round of the AMA Big 6 Grand Prix Series.
Martinez’s championship-winning weekend adds two more titles to her long list of offroad racing accolades and further proves her incredible versatility in all disciplines of the sport. Her championships include: AMA West National Hare Scrambles Series (2007, 2008, 2009), World Off-Road Championship Series (2009, 2010, 2011), AMA Grand National Cross Country Series (2014, 2015), AMA National Enduro Series (2016), AMA National Hare & Hound Series (2017), AMA EnduroCross Series (2018) and the AMA Big 6 Grand Prix Championship (2018). Additionally, Martinez has also won X-Games Gold in EnduroX (2014) and contributed to a second-place team finish at the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) in her first-ever attempt in 2017.
AMA EnduroCross Finale
Martinez came into Saturday’s EnduroCross finale in Boise, Idaho with a two-race winning streak behind her as she went to battle with KTM-mounted rider Shelby Turner in a ‘winner-take-all’ affair. Martinez started off strong, exceling through the day’s practice sessions and winning her heat race to take the number one gate pick into the evening’s Main Event.
The Women’s Main Event proved to be one of the most action-packed races of the season for Martinez and Turner as they battled back-and-forth for not only the race-win but also the coveted championship. Off the start, Martinez powered her KTM 250 EXC-F to the holeshot but she dropped back to second later in the lap. By lap two she had battled back into the lead as she continued to dice back-and-forth with Turner. While out front, Martinez made a mistake and went down in the firewood pit, leaving Turner with nowhere to go but down as well, and it was a race to get back up and going for both riders. Martinez was able to maintain her lead position until she crashed into a lapped rider with two laps to go, allowing Turner to get back around. Determined to fight for the championship, Martinez remounted and made a big charge in the final laps to ultimately overtake Turner and race to the finish, claiming her third-consecutive win and the 2018 Women’s Championship.
Round 7 of the AMA Big 6 Grand Prix
Martinez and her FMF KTM Factory Racing Team quickly shifted gears from Saturday night’s success to head to Gorman, California for the penultimate round of the 2018 AMA Big 6 Grand Prix Series on Sunday. Martinez came into the race with a 30-point lead in the WCGP Women Pro division and she knew exactly what she needed to do.
With no practice aboard her KTM 250 XC-F, Martinez showed up just in time to line up for Sunday’s race. She battled all afternoon to put herself into a favorable second-place position and she rode cautiously throughout the day, keeping the bigger picture in mind. Martinez maintained a steady pace to ultimately finish second in the class, which was good enough to clinch the championship with one round remaining in the season.
Martinez: “I am beyond happy with my weekend! Being able to wrap up championships in the two series I set out to race this year in the same weekend feels amazing! This past week I was thinking back on everything I have done and accomplished and actually got teary eyed. I’ve put in so much effort, work and sacrifice to be able to accomplish my long-term goal, which was to win every major offroad championship in the United States, and that has now come to an end! I feel accomplished and it couldn’t have been done without a long list of supporters. To name a few: my mom and dad, FMF KTM Factory Racing Team, Antti, my husband Travis Coy and my mechanics Cody, AG, Ty and Jon! I am so grateful to everyone that has helped in getting me to this point in my career, thank you!”
Team Manager, Antti Kallonen: “It’s one of the greatest feelings to be able to support an athlete like this and to achieve all of the goals that we set together four years ago. We sat down with Kacy and asked her what her goals were and she wanted to win every major AMA National Championship. It took a lot of planning and strategy to fit all the series in each year and I am very pleased that Kacy and the whole KTM team was able to pull off this plan within the timeframe that we had planned. It’s pretty incredible, the races we do are so different and for the rider to adjust in such a short time period to a new and completely different style of racing is really something to admire and we are really proud that Kacy was able to do it.”
Women’s EnduroCross Main Event Result
1. Kacy Martinez, KTM
2. Shelby Turner, KTM
3. Morgan Tanke, BET
Women’s EnduroCross Championship Standings (After Round 6 of 6)
1. Kacy Martinez, 122 points
2. Shelby Turner, 116
3. Morgan Tanke, 91
WCGP Women Pro Results
1. Lauren Woods, KTM
2. Kacy Martinez, KTM
WCGP Women Pro Championship Standings (After Round 7 of 8)
1. Kacy Martinez, 176 points
2. Lauren Woods, 151
3. Brandy Richards, 120
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