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Welcome to Momentum, a motorsports podcast powered by High Gear Success. I'm your host, Heather Wilson Schiltz. Here we share the stories and strategies that keep the world of motorsports moving forward. And I'm stoked to talk with Carter Gray, an accomplished motocross racer who is also a Loretta Lynn's national champion. So Carter, thank you for joining me. No problem, thanks for having me. Can you tell us how you first got started in riding and racing and at what point did you realize this would be something that you wanted to take very seriously? My cousin actually got me into it. When I first got on a bike, I was horrible, so bad. I was probably going two miles an hour. then once I got my first, because I was on a Honda 50, like little pit bike thing. And then once I got a real dirt bike, well, like a 50, so my cousin was helping me train and stuff. then we met Clay, and then we started training with Clay. I got pretty good at doing it. And then I was like, so, and I didn't, didn't really know at all when I started, but like we, once I started training with Clay, I knew, well, Clay knew that I was pretty good. And then I just been with him ever since and to be continued. Anytime we all start something new, right? We're probably not very good immediately. It's going to take a little practice to get going. And it sounds like you've got a coach and trainer that kind of helps you out along the way and kind of sees that natural talent in you and is able to build on it. How old were you? Do you remember when you first started riding? I think I have six. Okay. And did anybody in your family have any motorcycling background or it was just something that you saw and wanted to do? My cousin rode quads, but I seen Supercross on TV and I was like, I wanted to do that. I love that. That's so cool. So you are 13 years old now. You're based in Ohio, but where has racing taken you in terms of travel and what have you loved about traveling? So traveling is sometimes fun, but sometimes it's horrible. But I've been to France, I've to California, were the big ones, and then just kind of like Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Texas, just kind of all over really. I mean a lot of people don't get to travel very much in their lifetime at all or at least not till they're well into adulthood. So you've been a lot of places at a very young age. would say that flying is ten times better than driving. It's still boring. Driving can get exhausting after a while for sure. So when you went to France, was that for racing? Yeah, for Team USA. Tell us about that experience. Um, it was pretty fun. It was like the track was so bad. It was like rock. It was just like a rock track basically and like concrete, but the track itself was really bad, but like the experience was really fun. The food is way better there. And then just like this, I feel like my thing was when I went there, it was just to have fun because like, I mean, obviously I need to perform, but it was just to have fun and ride how I can normally ride. And it was. Basically what I did except for one moto, my bike blew up and I got 32nd. So I went one one thirty two one Third yeah. uh Just like the track texture and consistency seemed a little different than what we're used to here in the United States. Yeah, way different. Was it cool to interact with other teams from other countries? Um, a little bit. They didn't really talk English, so like that was a pretty big Yeah. Kind of smile and wave situation. Yeah. It's just like, um, you had a big 2024 season with a championship at Loretta Lynn's amateur national motocross. when you kind of think back to that week, what moment sticks with you the most? Um, definitely as soon as I came off the finish line, my whole family was there. It was just like, almost like a dream come true. Basically. Like I always wanted to win Loretta's my first year I got 10th I ever went to Loretta's So I got 10th and it was so it was fun for me. And I didn't really know that I would come back a couple of years later and win. That was my goal to win, but like we, we were close a couple of years and then. That year, in practice, I felt really good, and then I just kind of stuck with it and just went for it. Well, that's some really stiff competition that you're up against at Loretta Lynn's. So, definitely probably takes a couple of years before you can get a win under your belt. uh about kind of the training that went into prepping for Loretta Lynn's. Is that your main focus throughout the year? Do you have other races that you're focused on? Um, before Loretta's not really, I mean, maybe a couple like regionals, obviously. And then, uh, spring nationals I'm pretty focused on. So after Mini-O's, we train down south. Like as soon as we leave Mini-O's, we go to one of the tracks we're going to. And then we come home for Christmas and then we go back down and then we don't come home until after spring nationals. So you're on the road a lot. Do you stay in an RV or is it mostly hotels or do you rent a house somewhere? Yeah. Do you have kind of a big family? Do you have like family with you? Is it mostly the trainer and are you all kind of crammed in the camper? miss me and my trainer and then like his wife and son. Are you still going to public school or are you in homeschooling? When did you start doing that? I think since fourth grade. So it's been a few years. Do you like that flexibility? Is it hard to get your schoolwork done or? It's so much easier and it's much nicer to easily like, it's obviously you have to do homework, but the schedule is so much easier. You've also had some big moments, including the SMX event in Charlotte in 2024. And so how do you balance kind of being aggressive on the racetrack and still racing smart? Um, just kind of breathing is a big thing for me because I feel like when I override and don't breathe, I kind of just like don't ride as good and kind of tense up and it just doesn't go good. Yeah, absolutely. That's a big factor, right? Kind of just keeping yourself calm and remembering to breathe. So your body's not working so hard. Yeah. At that same event, I believe too, you were the 2024 SMX People's Champ. So that was recognition that came from the fans. And what did that mean to you to get that award? It felt pretty good. I'm, I was just super excited because I was really, really bad and really bad the whole day and the day before. So I feel like that's kind of been my thing for the last two years or the both years I went for SMX practice, not very good. And then we did a race. It's pretty good. kind of turn up the pressure and then you really perform. Between riding and gym sessions and mental coaching, what part of training do you think gives you the biggest edge over your competitors? Um, I feel like obviously you have to work out at our age now that weights are starting to get big and then getting stronger and stuff to move the bigger bikes around and then training a lot and just kind of wanting to win like more than other people. What is a typical training week look like for you? Tuesday through Friday and then I go to gym on I think I'm I haven't been to gym since my back but I think it's Tuesday and Fridays I go to gym or Wednesday or Friday one of them And so the training camp is in Northern Ohio then. Yeah. Do you also work with like a, like a mental performance coach? Did I read that? How has that changed the way that you kind of handle nerves and pressures of race day? It's so much easier, I feel like, and the stress just kind of like, just falls off basically once I talk to her. And then I feel like, it's almost like a reset, I feel like. I kind of get reset and then I go right, feel like I'm normal and then I, it's just easy then. What are some of the techniques that you use on race day to kind of calm yourself down? Just hang out, hang out with my family and just be chill, not too stressed and stuff. So when you're lining up on race day, what's kind of going through your mind in that moment when you're behind the starting gate? What are you focused on? executing the start and then breathing. Then after that, just logging down laps and just being consistent. you kind of stand and watch other people race before your races to get a feel for the track? Yeah. Kind of taking notes on what could work for you. I just kind of or we normally watch like when I'm in staging clay has his phone or an iPad and we watch some races and then at Loretta's now there's a Just like this monster thing and then you go in there. It's like cold in there and there's TVs up So to watch the track and stuff And you recently made the jump from a 65 to an 85 and it seems like you adjusted pretty quickly, but what was the hardest part of that transition? Honestly, I don't know, I mean, I wanted to get on a faster bike because I needed the more power. I feel like I maxed the 65 out and it couldn't go any faster. And what bike are you riding now? GasGas85 Do you like that bike? Yeah. It's fast. It kind of feels like the 65 but like just bigger basically and way more power. It has the same feel and everything. Just power. so obviously you're working with a trainer and a coach at Driven MX. So how important is it to have that group around you and how does that kind of factor into your success on the racetrack? it's, mean, I wouldn't be any, I wouldn't be anywhere close to where I am without them. So I really need that coaching and everyone needs a coach for everything, every single sport. And you can't be good if you don't have a coach. So they helped me so much and I feel like I've been with them so much. feels like family. Did you start out with them as your coach or have you kind of tried out different coaches? Because I feel like it takes a while to find the right fit for you. Like sometimes they're a great coach to other people, but it's not a great fit for you. So did you kind of try different people out? I mean one time, it was only one time, but it was for like a week camp and it was, yeah that was it, only once, but yeah. So it's been a pretty natural fit from the beginning. That's cool. Obviously a lot of people see the wins and kind of the highlight reels of your racing career, but not the behind the scenes grind. So what do you wish that fans watching you better understood about what goes into your racing? how much work we put in, like not when the cameras are on and the big races, like how much work we really do, do and stuff. And you've already obviously accomplished a lot, how do you stay motivated and pushing instead of getting just like comfortable? Um, really wanting the win and make it pro. What are some of your big goals for this year? Hopefully my surgery goes good and just get back on the bike and start to grind again. You're having back surgery? That sounds gnarly. Yep, I broke my back in like six places. So they've just kind of been letting it heal a little bit before they do surgery. We already had one surgery, so we have to get my rods and screws out. Have you been able to be on the bike recently then or it's kind of been off the bike? And yeah, I've been home, so I haven't been off the track for a while. I went to GPF where we were this winter for a month, I think, and then I haven't been out of track in a while since GPF. What's kind of the recovery timeline after you have surgery? 3 to 6 I think? Or 3 to 8, something like that. Weeks or months? okay. That's not so bad then. I was thinking, man, that's a lot of time. Yeah. so probably I would guess your ultimate career goal is to go pro and, do supercross, right? Cause that's what inspired you in the first place. So what does that path look like for you over the next couple of years? What are you going to have to do to get to that level? um I need to more. I feel like I have enough grit. I just need to keep working and I think I'm on the right track. a lot of hard work going into it and then keep showing up right and then hopefully you get noticed by some of those bigger teams. How do you balance kind of like being a kid with school family and friends and also your racing? um I feel like whenever I come home from like on a Friday, kind of, it's normally, it's some daylights still and then sometimes I invite some of my friends over for the weekend and I have Monday off so I most of my school work done for the week. What do you like to do for fun aside from just racing? golf and basketball. Yeah. How often do you get to go golfing? Do you have any favorite courses? you get to play when you travel? Um, sometimes, but I'd normally go to my one right next to my house. What is something about you, whether on or off the bike that people would be surprised to learn or know? Um, it's a hard one. I think that we do a lot of things that not a lot of realize, but we're still kids and we still do everything the same as everybody else. It is whenever we get on the bike, we're a whole different person. kind of like a switch that flips. yet. Are you on a pretty regimented kind of healthy diet or are you just going to eat what you want? I'm on a diet, yeah. Well, I'm trying to gain weight right now. Bye bye. Gotcha. Yeah, I feel like for a lot of especially like young male athletes, like keeping the weight on is actually a challenge sometimes. Yeah. Who are some of the riders that you look up to right now and what do you kind of study or learn from them? I like Jett and I like Tomac. So with Jett, just, he's really good technique. And then Eli, I feel like he just has the grit, the want to win and just keep pushing. Those are two pretty good role models, I think. Yeah. there anybody that it doesn't even have to be a professional. Are there kids that are older than you that you kind of look up to in the next classes that you're learning from? Um, not really. Yeah, not really. it was Caden Dudney but now he's on a big pro class. I was looking up for him. say you had like this magic wish to be granted and you could go race or just ride for fun with any pro today, who would you want to line up with on the track? It'd be fun to ride with Carson Brown. I feel like that'd be fun. Probably Carson Brown. What is one track that you could ride every day and not get bored of? Probably Loretta's. That's actually fun. And you probably only get to race that just once a year. There's really not any practices or anything there. Yeah. Where kind of your home base practice tracks? I really have that many. It's just driven. And then that's basically it around. Cause I don't have none around my house. It used to be Malvern, but that shut down. yeah. And then Route 62 is that that's the only one that's. And then it's like two hours away. Gotcha. So kind of that one primary track, and then you're just traveling to the races on the weekends. When it comes to the races, do you have a pre-race song or kind of like a hype routine to kind of get you focused or you more quiet and kind of just chilling before you get going? Yeah, sometimes I listen to music, sometimes I don't. It just kind of depends how I feel. Sometimes I'll ask for the headphones and sometimes I won't. I feel like if I feel really good, I feel like I won't ask for them. If I feel like I'm in the mood, yeah. And then if I'm like, kind of like, little nervous, I'll put them on. Do you have a goal this year that has nothing to do with racing? This might be challenging to think of outside of racing, but is there something that you just want to do, something that you want to experience this year? Um, so I might be going on a cruise with one of my friends. feel like I, I only been on one cruise before and I, was really cool. So hopefully I get to go on that one. Cruises are really fun. And then I want to beat my brothers in basketball. I have never been on a cruise. I don't want to go on a cruise though. I don't know that sounds too claustrophobic for me, but some people love it. ah Are your brothers younger or older than you? Yeah. So you got to practice and beat them. and they play basketball. So my one brother plays AAU basketball, so he's pretty good. Do they ride motorcycles at all or just traditional sports? baseball, football. Let's tell people where they can follow your journey then and keep up with what you've got coming up next. So any social media that you have. I have a YouTube channel, I think it's just Carter Gray 698 and then my Instagram is Carter Gray 698. Perfect. So people can follow along there and wish you the best of luck. Hopefully you can get recovered from your surgery and be back to racing hardcore again. Yeah, thanks for having me. Thank you to Carter and thanks for everybody to tuning in to Momentum. This has been a production of High Gear Success. If you want to connect or recommend a guest, head to MomentumMotorsportsPodcast.com. Until next time, keep the momentum rolling.