Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/103448
P40 IN THE WIND MARTIN TOPS MINI-O'S J eremy Martin receives the Dunlop Silver Tire Award trophy from Dunlop's Mike Buckley after coming away from the 40th Annual Mini Olympics at Gatorback Cycle Park in Florida as the top pointsscoring A-class rider in a combined tally of Supercross and Motocross races. Martin took the overall win in the 250 A/ Pro Stock class and earned an impressive 11 podium finishes during the course of the week. 32-41 Wind.indd 40 erything," Jacobsen said. "I went with Mark and Barry and was working and talking to people in Europe and stuff and that's how it all came about. "We were all ready to go with that and then this came about and Mark said, you know, 'Hey, go for it. It's a good opportunity and stuff.'" Jacobsen will get his first ride on the Honda during a test in Spain, then again at Phillip Island during a combined World Superbike/World Supersport test the week before the season-opener at Phillip Island. The tracks he raced on in Spain - Jacobsen campaigned a 125 for two years in the CEV Buckler Championship - are no longer on the World Superbike calendar, which means he'll have very little track knowledge. What he does have is a close friendship with 2011 World Supersport Champion Chaz Davies, who also rode for Celtic Racing in the U.S. Jacobsen said he was likely to commute to most of the races, but may stay with Davies in Wales or with friends in Ireland during the season. It was because of his friendship with Davies that he followed this year's World Supersport season. The two have yet to speak about next season, but Jacobsen said, "I'm pretty sure I'll have a good talk with him when I go over for the test. He'll probably help me out the whole year with different tracks and everything." Jacobsen is going to a team whose results weren't consistent in 2011. Brit Sam Lowes finished sixth overall in a year in which he had six podiums to go with four DNFs, a 10th and an 11th. But Jacobsen pointed out that the team is no stranger to success. In 2010, Eugene Laverty rode the Parkalgar Honda to second overall with eight wins, "so I'm expecting good things," Jacobsen said. Good things were also expected of the pairing of Eraldo Ferracci and Celtic Racing, but the results were disappointing. "The whole year was kind of a struggle just because it was a brand-new bike and Ducati just came out with it and everything," Jacobsen said. Ferracci said he was asking a lot of the motors, which weren't as reliable as Ferracci motors of the past. "I think he was doing the best he could. I think it was just new to him too," Jacobsen said. Riding the 848EVO hard to keep up with the pack, Jacobsen found himself on the ground far too often. "I don't fall down too much. I guess it was just finding the limit," he said "I just think [I was] riding hard. It seems like the Ducati went really well in the long tracks, but when we got to the tighter tracks… it was getting really heavy too when they added the weight at the end of the year." Henny Ray Abrams 12/12/11 2:40 PM