Monster Energy Interview: Loretta’s Supermini 2 class national champion, Easton Graves

Louisiana-born and sticking close to his southern roots with year ‘round training happening in Florida and Georgia, Monster Energy’s recently crowned Monster Energy AMA Amateur National MX Championship (aka “Loretta’s) champion, Easton Graves (Husqvarna), is having a banger year on his dirt bike.

Having recently made the move from KTM, where he won the 2023 65cc (10-11) class at Loretta’s for his first overall national title, Graves, now 15, opened the 2026 competition season by dominating the Oak Hill (Texas) Spring-A-Ding national event, sweeping the Supermini 1, Supermini 2 and Schoolboy 1 class. Then, earlier this month, he again dominated the Supermini 2 class at Loretta’s, sweeping all three motos to earn his second national title.

And, as many backstories to championships go, Graves’ route to his second career Loretta’s title wasn’t without some hectic moments. “It was a very emotional victory to  say the least,” he said. “There were several obstacles along the journey to the (Loretta’s) Ranch. Coming into the week of Loretta’s I knew I had to stay focused and make every start count. In typical Loretta’s fashion I definitely had my obstacles. My petcock (valve) broke right before the site lap on Moto 1. So a huge thanks to my mechanic Landon and my dad for getting it back together and ready to go. I knew I couldn’t let that define my week so I took a deep breath and just rode my race.”

Graves could have figured his road to the title at Loretta’s this year was going to be tough, as his qualifying journey alone left him with a bit of a struggle just to get into the event’s starting gate.

“My road to LL was far from easy this year,” explained Graves. “Early  June had a practice incident that caused an arm and leg injury, which put me way behind and had me going to the last Regional at Archview MX (East St. Louis, Ill.). Fortunately, I was able to get my tickets (to Loretta’s) there, even though I’d been off the bike for three weeks.”

Following his regional race, Graves hit the training route – albeit with limited racing scenarios – at Moto Sandbox (Groveland, Fla.) with coaches Rob Burkhart and Brandon Hartranft. Graves said he worked more on endurance, working with Burkhart on his daily riding and Hartranft on his off-the-bike training.

“I only did two 20-minute motos leading into Loretta’s,” said Graves. “I worked a lot on my starts and rode several 10-minute motos to help build my endurance. Rob and Brandon are a big part of my success.” Graves was also quick to credit his family support system, mom Ashlee and dad Brhett, adding: “My parents give everything they can to make sure I am able to be the best. We often spend time apart to make this life work – and there are definitely some long days. But results like Loretta’s this year definitely make the dog days of summer worth it.”

Another interesting coaching connection Graves had along the way, back when he won his first 65cc title at Loretta’s, was the help he got from former Monster Energy AMA Supercross 125cc champion Kevin Windham. A fellow Louisiana native, Windham provided some valuable advice to Graves at that point in his young racing career.

“It was  great to get to learn from Kevin,” said Graves. “He was good about getting on a bike and showing us how to do it. Very seldom do you get to experience the technique of someone with the technique like Kevin.”

Back to Loretta’s earlier this month, Graves also nailed the runner-up spot in Supermini 1, rallying back from a 6^th place finish (due to a penalty) in the opening moto to score two-straight podium finishes, including the win in Moto 3 to take the classes 2^nd place runner-up position.

“Yeah, I won the moto (Supermini Moto 1) by 20 seconds, however I received a penalty of five positions for jumping on yellow flag,” explained Graves. “Then, in Moto 2, I had a bad reed (fuel/air mixture valve) causing me to take 3rd in the moto. We got everything fixed and went back for moto 3 where I finished with a 1^st. On that 3^rd moto I knew I wasn't completely out of the fight, so as I have been taught you race to the checkers and never give up – and that is what I did.”

At Loretta’s, Graves was part of a noticeable Husqvarna movement, which included championship from another Monster Energy-backed racer, Tristain Prueitt. A big move for a teenager jumping ship from KTM to join ‘Husky,’ Graves has been very pleased with the way things have gone so far.

“My relationship with Husqvarna has been a really positive one, and it’s something  that came together at the end of 2024,” he explained. “ Husqvarna has been great to work with and I’ve really appreciated the support they’ve shown me. The bikes have been incredible all season, but the qualifier and Loretta Lynn’s really showed what they’re capable of. At the qualifier, the Husqvarna was strong right out of the gate. Once I got to Loretta’s, the bikes performed exactly how I needed them to. The conditions at the Ranch can be brutal and constantly changing, so you need a bike that works well in everything—from rough, technical sections to fast, choppy terrain. The bike handled those conditions really well and stayed consistent throughout the week.”

Looking back on your Graves’ record at Loretta’s, since 2016 when he first started out in the 51cc Special and Shaft classes, the results – sans a 65cc (10-11) championship and runner-up finish in 2023 - weren’t quite as spectacular as the effort he put in at this year’s Loretta’s. Graves discussed what led to his stratospheric rise at the Ranch this year - with four moto wins, a class sweep and another 2^nd place overall championship finish in two highly competitive classes.

Said Graves: “I think a lot of it comes down to the work I’ve put in over the last few years and everything finally coming together at the right time. Loretta’s has always been a goal of mine, and I’ve had some good results there, but I don’t think my previous finishes always showed how much effort I was putting in behind the scenes. This year, I came in with a lot more experience, confidence and dedication. I felt really comfortable on the bike and my training and fitness were at another level. I also had a better understanding of how to manage the week, the track and the pressure that comes with racing at Loretta’s.”

Graves continued: “Instead of getting caught up in the results, I was able to stay focused on executing each moto and making the most of every opportunity. I also have to give a lot of credit to my family,  trainers and everyone around me. We’ve put in a ton of work and having that support has allowed me to keep improving even when the results weren’t always there. I think this year was really the result of all those years of work finally showing through.”

And Graves’ confidence level? He had that going on as well.

“Going into the week, I knew I had the speed and determination to run up front, but to come away with four moto wins, a class championship and another second-place moto was more than I could have hoped for,” he said. “It definitely gives me a lot of confidence, but more than anything, it motivates me to keep working because I know there’s still a lot more I want to accomplish.”

Beyond American competitions, Graves also has enjoyed a spot on the Jeff Cernic-coached Team USA at the FIM Junior Motocross World Championships, giving him some incredibly valuable international competition experience (along with some heartache) as he continues to move towards becoming a professional motocross racer.

“I have been honored to represent Team USA three years in a row - 2023, 2024, and 2025,” said Graves. “(In) 2023 I finished 2^nd in the 65cc class. 2024 I was the youngest in the class and it was definitely learning experience. European motocross is definitely different from the USA. In 2025 I went down in 2nd moto and broke my wrist requiring surgery when I got back to the USA. The injury caused me to miss the 2025 LL which was my first race at the ranch I had missed in ten years.”

Looking to the future, Graves’ Supermini performances at Loretta’s helped solidify his position on the manufacturers’ ‘Who’s next’ radars, although there’s going to be a bit of a delay in his return to racing here in 2026.

“I had surgery on Tuesday (August 18) to have a plate removed out of my wrist, so I will actually be off the bike for about five more weeks,” he explained. “Once I get my stitches out I will start back on my off bike conditioning. Then, once I am released by my doctor, I will start on a 250. My plans for the remaining year are light. I plan to take my time and get used to the big bike so I am ready to go for the 2027 race season.”

As a Monster Energy athlete and Monster Army member, Graves is surrounded – daily – by athletes from all sorts of action sports from all over the world. A highly diverse group – from skateboarding to MMA to rodeo – and pretty much everything in-between. When asked when he’s not on his dirt bike and has a chance to catch up on the action sports scene, what other sports have Graves messed around with – and which ones do you tune into when X Games and Dew Tour are going off, Graves responded: “I am a big fan of F1. And my family is involved in the rodeo scene, so I do watch a little bit of bull riding as well. And I’m also a fan of the X Games. Wyatt Fontenot, who won a gold medal in best whip competition a few weeks ago, is from Louisiana as well. So seeing another Louisiana boy doing big things is pretty cool!”

As for a few closing words from our national MX champ from Louisiana, Graves added from his recent visit to the Corona HQ: “Thank you so much for the opportunity to meet with you guys. I enjoyed visiting. And I definitely appreciate all of the support I receive from you guys at Monster!”

Up next… Check out Monster Energy racer results here on MonsterEnergy.com, and you can follow the action – via replays - from Loretta’s through www.mxsports.com and on www.floracing.com The next major amateur national motocross events are the Moto Playground Race at Ponca City, Sept. 30 through Oct. 4, and the Nov. 21-28 Thor Mini O’s (Winter National Amateur Motocross) at Gatorback Cycle Park in Alachua, Fla.