Photos Provided St. Clairsville resident Carter Gray poses with his championship trophy after winning the 65cc limited division during the 2024 Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn.

HURRICANE MILLS, Tenn. — If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That’s exactly what Carter Gray did.

After finishing no better than third in five tries at the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch, the 12-year-old from St. Clairsville finally reached the top of the awards podium.

Gray became a national champion by winning the 65cc limited division for 10- to 11-year-olds. His birthday fell just right for him to compete at that level.

“It feels really good to finally be on the top of the podium after putting in a lot of hard work spending the winters down south and training four days a week,” Gray said in an email from South Carolina, where he went to celebrate with his family.

“I feel like my prior racing helped me to choose good energy-saving lines since it was so hot (heat index was 110 degrees Fahrenheit). This helped me save energy and led me to the front of the pack.”

He said prior to the race that getting the hole-shot to start was really important.

He did just that in all three motos. Gray captured the first two motos while placing third in the final nine-lap race. He led wire-to-wire in Moto 1 and was ahead in eight of the nine laps in Moto 3. He led the first two laps of Moto 3.

His first-lap times were 2-minutes, 3.611-seconds in Moto 1; 2:01.536 in Moto 2 and 2:04.116 in Moto 3.

“Crossing the finish line knowing that I did what needed to be done to be the champion was a feeling I will never forget,” Gray added. “I was so relieved and excited that I was able to get the job done. This is my first national championship.

“I couldn’t have done it without the help of God for keeping me safe, my family, my trainers and my sponsors.”

Finishing second was Jaydin Smart of Berry Creek, Calif., who was third, second and first.

Gray also placed fourth in the 65cc Open (10-11) with finishes of fourth, fifth and third.

Gray was racing for the first time with Steel City Men’s Health Clinic and Riders Gold Mx as his title sponsor. His longtime trainer, Clay Elliott of Driven Mx Training in Berlin Center, Ohio, is friends with Bo Hamlet, owner of Steel City Men’s Health Clinic and Riders Gold Mx. The two also train young riders at TenMile Mx in Caldwell, Ga.

Other sponsors include Cobra Motorcycles, Driven Mx Training , Canvasmx, xbrandgoggles, procircuit, VP Racing Fuels, Roost Mx, Dunlop Moto, Team EVS, Tamer Holeshot, Moto Seat, T-rex Moto, ASV Inventions, Moto Option, PR2 Racing, Acerbis USA, Renthal Moto, RK Excel, MX Tire, Bret Bell, Tyson Teneyck, Joel Younkins Training, Kelly Younkins Consulting and rJerky.

“Some people will never understand what these kids put themselves through for that winning feeling at one of the most prestigious races. This one was special,” Brett Bell, vice president of Cobra Motorcycles, said of Gray in a post on social media.