Max Michael Forrest, a rising third-grader at Norwood Elementary School, has qualified to compete for the second consecutive year in the 42nd annual Monster Energy American Motorcyclist Association Amateur National Motocross Championship.

Forrest, the 8-year-old son of Brantley and Elizabeth Forrest of Albemarle, is already at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, where he will compete in events scheduled for Monday through Aug. 5.

He earned entry to the event by racing in the Micro E division.

He will race as a Cobra Team Rider on the 2023 Cobra CX50E.
Forrest will take his first practice lap on Monday.

“Only the national racers are allowed onto this track making it fair to all of the racers,” his mother Elizabeth said. “The track setup stays very similar from year to year so Max should have an advantage from competing last year in the Lorreta Lynn Nationals.”

He will race Aug. 1, 3 and 4, with the results averaged for an overall finish. The races can be viewed on MAVTV (mavtv.com) and RacerTV.com.

Max Forrest is ready to get rolling. (Photo by Jessi Thomas / fotofinishfotography)

Besides racing, the week will including trainings, interviews and an opening ceremony concert by country singer Craig Morgan.

Having started racing in the fall of 2021, Forrest has raced “almost every weekend since,” according to his mom.

“Max’s greatest accomplishment this past year has been finishing eighth overall among hundreds in his division at the Thor Mini O’s National Race, which is a compilation of races that span over a week’s time during the Thanksgiving holiday,” she said.

“Throughout the summer in preparation for Nationals, Max was invited to train with a superior group of Loretta Lynn Racers where he has been training with Ryan Smith at his track in Axton, Virginia Lake Sugar Tree Motorsports Park,” she added. “Max has thoroughly enjoyed training with Ryan and his fellow racers.”

Max Forrest of Albemarle, left, and teammate Wells Richardson of Dobson both qualified for the 42nd annual Monster Energy American Motorcyclist Association Amateur National Motocross Championship. (Photo by Jessica Hagen / Seat Bounce Moto)

For Max, the heat training is the toughest part.

“We wait until around lunch time so that its the hottest part of the day …. We race the stopwatch for 20-minute moto’s pushing ourselves to beat our previous lap times. I love it, and the best part is at the end of the day we get the jump in the mud pits and then wash off in the lake. We all have had the best summer training, we train really hard, really hard throughout the day and then play, fish and have dinner together in the afternoons.”

Racing has taken the Forrests to many tracks across the east coast.

“Max would like to thank his dad for being the greatest support and pit crew any racer could ask for,” his mom said, and Carolina Cobra for keeping his bikes fresh.