On the back of his shock Super Pole qualification and his best-ever MX1 result at Swan Hill, we caught up with 18-year-old DPH Suzuki rider Sam Martin and threw five questions at him starting with ‘Why’.

DPH Suzuki rider Sam Martin has made the transition from MXD direct to MX1 with considerable success. Image: Simon Makker/Makkreative.com.

Why do you think you rode so well on the weekend?

I actually missed the Hervey Bay round of the MX Nationals as I had a bad bout of tonsillitis and I wasn’t able to ride for two weeks. But I think that worked in my favour, as I felt freshened up when I got back on the bike. We changed up my training routine, so instead of doing a lot of gym and cardio work I’m spending more time on the bike and riding 30-minute motos every time I on the bike to get accustomed to pushing that long.

Even though I was battling the flu at Swan Hill, my immune system is down and I felt like death, I still felt I could last longer and was stronger during the day.

Why were you so nervous on Super Pole?

It was the first time I’ve qualified for Super Pole with a fourth placing and I definitely had a bit of a shake going on. It was one of the most nervous moments in my career as I felt like I was playing with the big boys. I was out of my comfort zone and I was shocked when they called my name over to take part in Super Pole.

The nerves got to me in the first few corners, but I think the last half a lap was good. Going into the racing though, I felt everything was just like normal. I finished fifth in the opening moto, but crashed hard and damaged my rear brake while I was in sixth in the second race, which put me back a bit.

All in all though, I was pumped with the weekend and it has given me extra confidence and proved to myself that I deserve to be up there and can race with the top guys in the class

Why did you decide to leapfrog from MXD straight up to MX1?

Because I’m fat [laughs]. Nah, I feel better suited to a 450 machine and I like the power. Making that step up was definitely something I thought long and hard about before manning up, but now it feels good. It’s great to get out of that MXD class and race against the top riders. I figured the sooner I could get on a 450 the sooner I could beat them. The quicker I learn the quicker I can get up front.

Why do you think we’re seeing diminishing numbers in the MX1 and MX2 class as the season wears on?

I think it’s such a stacked field, and if you’re not a factory rider you’re basically getting lapped. People might not think there’s much point to lining up and are scared of the strong field as they think they’re not up to the pace of the leaders. I think it comes down to people not wanting to push themselves. To those people, I say the only way you’re going to get better is to get out there and have a go. It was a shame to see so few entries on the weekend, and I hope that turns around at Toowoomba and Coolum.

Why are you looking forward to Supercross?

I’m amped to have Josh Hill as a teammate at DPH. I’ve spoken to him through email and chatted with him a bit and he seems like a really cool guy.

I think I’m better at Supercross than I am at Motocross and think the whoops are a strong point of my riding.

I’m looking forward to riding and practicing with my local boys Kade Mosig, Adam Monea and Josh Hill and learn as much as I can from those guys

I’ll be racing the MX1 class and I’m looking forward to some good, clean racing. There’ll be a lot less cartwheels and triple cases and I’m not going to have to worry about some gumboot on a 250 cleaning me out.