| Jacky Martens | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Born | 3 July 1963 (1963-07-03) (age 62) |
| Motocross career | |
| Years active | 1979–1997 |
| Teams | Husqvarna,KTM |
| Championships | 500cc – 1993 |
| Wins | 17 |
Jacky Martens (born 3 July 1963) is aBelgian former professionalmotocross racer and current race team manager. He competed in theMotocross World Championships from 1979 to 1997. Martens is notable for winning the 1993F.I.M. 500cc motocross world championship.[1]
Born inLommel,Belgium, Martens' first motocross race was in 1979, and by the mid 1980s he made the breakthrough into Grand Prix motocross, originally on a privately enteredHonda, before a switch to theKTM factory racing team, culminating in a best result of second in the 500cc motocross world championship in 1991.[2]
For 1992 Martens switched to theHusqvarna factory team, riding the fearsome Husqvarna 610four-stroke machine. Many felt this was a backward step for Martens, as unlike today, four-stroke machines were seen as slow, bulky and uncompetitive compared to thetwo-stroke machines. At times Martens had a difficult 1992, but some encouraging results later in the year saw him finish 11th in the series.[3]
However, 1993 was a different start. After a steady start to the series atHawkstone Park, Martens quickly proved himself and his machine, rising to the top of the 500cc world championship standings, with Swede Jorgen Nilsson. The championship was contested until the very final round, where Martens clinched the title to become the first rider to win the premier 500cc class on a four-stroke sinceJeff Smith accomplished the feat in 1965.[4][5]
1994 saw Martens once again challenge for the title, his main rival being another Swede,Marcus Hansson. Once again the title was decided on the very final round, but a fall in the final round cost Martens the title, as he narrowly took second overall.[6]
1995 and 1996 were blighted by injury, and Martens final season as a rider was in 1997. By this time, Martens was seen as something of an also-ran, but he managed to upset the form book and produce some impressive results, including a moto win at the British Grand Prix atHawkstone Park, which was popular with Martens' large contingent of British fans.
After retiring, Martens became the team manager for the JM RacingKTM team, helping to guideSven Breugelmans to the MX3 world championship. He managed the Husqvarna factory racing team in the MX2 class from2014 to2019.[7] In 2020. Martens started the JM Honda Racing team to compete in the MXGP class.[8]