Feature Story
Evan Witham: Making His Debut Count
How the Team Green™ Rider Made His Loretta Lynn's Debut One to Remember
For 16-year-old Evan Witham, earning the opportunity to race at the Monster Energy® AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch was already the realization of a goal he had been working toward for years. The Carmel, Maine, native had never experienced a week at the Ranch before, but he arrived at the gate after a season that gave him plenty of reason to believe he could compete with the best amateur racers in the country. By the time the week came to an end, the Kawasaki Team Green™ rider left the track with two AMA Amateur National Championships, six podium finishes, and the biggest accomplishment of his young racing career.
Witham’s road to Loretta Lynn’s included an increased focus on the work required away from the racetrack, dedicating more time to training, fitness, and nutrition as he began taking his goal of eventually racing professionally more seriously. The results followed throughout 2026, including championships in 450 C, 250 C and 250 C Limited at the Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross at Daytona International Speedway. With a successful season behind him, Witham arrived at the Ranch with expectations that extended beyond simply being happy to qualify. “I felt confident going into the week that I was a podium contender,” Witham said. “There was a lot of hard work both on and off the bike and sacrifices. I worked hard for months before Loretta’s to become my best self.”
It didn’t take long for Witham to prove he could contend. In the 250 C Class, he opened his Loretta Lynn’s debut with a runner-up finish before earning his first moto victory at the Ranch in Moto 2. With the championship within reach heading into the final race, the No. 11 continued the approach that carried him throughout the week, riding hard while making smart decisions and passes regardless of where he found himself on the track. Another runner-up finish completed a 2-1-2 scorecard and secured his first AMA Amateur National Championship. The victory also made Witham the first rider from Maine to capture a Loretta Lynn’s championship, adding another milestone to an already unforgettable week.
Witham at the Podium for The 250 C Championship
Witham Winning The 250 C Jr. (12-17) Limited Championship
There was little time to celebrate with another championship still within reach. Witham entered the final 250 C Jr. (12-17) Limited moto after finishing second and first in the opening two motos, but a bad start left him with work to do. With the title on the line, he focused on moving forward without allowing the pressure of the moment to change the way he raced. Witham recovered to third at the finish, a result he felt didn’t fully reflect the speed he had or how hard he was riding. “I made smart decisions and good passes,” Witham said. “No matter my position on the track, I rode hard but smart. A third-place finish in the final moto doesn’t reflect the speed I had or how hard I was riding.” Rather than his final moto finish, his 2-1-3 scores were enough to secure another first overall and his second national championship of the week.
Witham with His Mother, Heather
For Witham’s parents, Andy and Heather, those two championships represented much more than the motos raced during one week in Tennessee. Pursuing motocross at a national level has required Evan to spend months away from his home in Maine to train, meaning time away from his family, missed family functions, and many of the everyday experiences that come with being 16 years old. While his friends at home experience a more traditional teenage life, Witham’s days are often built around training, riding, and preparing for the next opportunity. “Evan spends months away from home training,” Heather said. “He doesn’t get to see his family very often, and misses out on family functions.” His parents have watched those sacrifices become a normal part of their son’s pursuit of racing professionally, making the opportunity to finally watch that work result in two championships at Loretta Lynn’s especially meaningful.
Witham has also found support in that pursuit through the Kawasaki Team Green™ Racer Rewards program. Beyond the support he receives at the track, Witham credits the program for aiding his success, saying how “...being part of the program has allowed me to meet some really awesome people with Kawasaki, and the contingency funds have been a huge help with my racing, training program, and maintaining my bike.” For a young rider and his family committing much of their lives to competing at the national level, that support has helped Witham continue working toward the goals that extend beyond his success in the field.
Witham with His Father, Andy
Witham’s first Loretta Lynn’s will always be the week he became a two-time national champion, but the results mean even more because of everything that happened before he ever arrived at the Ranch. The months away from home, missed time with family, and long days spent working toward an opportunity like this are sacrifices few people see when a rider stands on top of the podium. A long road remains between Witham and his ultimate goal of becoming a professional racer, but after two championships and six trips to the podium in his debut at Loretta Lynn’s, all of that work led to a week he and his family will never forget.
