When a rider names “The Functional Neurology Center” on the list of who he would like to thank, you know he has a story to tell. Carter Biese has had an up and down amateur career. One of his highlights was winning Loretta Lynn’s in 2017 in the 125 B/C 12-16 class. He also endured a very scary head injury, which is why he lists The Functional Neurology Center as a supporter. His most recent low was crashing at the 2021 Spring A Ding spring national in Texas, where he almost lost his arm. After taking a full year off to recover, Carter got back on the bike this March. Two weeks ago, he decided to line up for his first ever Lucas Oil Pro Motocross National at Thunder Valley. He also made the field at High Point. Impressed with his incredible comeback we decided to check in with him to see how it went.
Racer X: So, you just finished up your first two nationals at Thunder Valley and High Point, tell us how it went?
Carter Biese: Colorado was a rough one, obviously I just came off of a huge injury so there was no expectation on the week. And we had a timing chain snap in the first moto, and we were unable to get it ready to go by the second moto. And then High Point I just struggled. Struggled getting used to the pro tracks and how it develops and just didn’t have the bike set up properly, so it was a bit of a struggle. I kind of knew coming in that these were going to be tough, so I just wanted to get a few out of the way before I get more into the “home soil” Redbud, Southwick, Millville. So good learning experiences, but not the best results.
Well, I was watching, what did you go 28-28? That’s not bad at all! And timing and scoring had you in 14th on the first lap the second moto?
I do think that I was in 14th and then came to the bottom of one of the huge hills and made a big mistake and ended up off the racetrack and lost a lot of spots. I just need to clean some stuff up in general, I made a ton of mistakes that I don’t normally make.
These tracks really are nothing like amateur tracks, even the same track from amateur day to pro day they are not the same. It’s different, the way they are prepped to the way they break up.
Yeah that was the thing. I think we had my bike set up more towards the amateur side of things. So, it was just way too soft. So, I tensed up really bad because I was just fighting the bike the whole time. It was just a learning experience, that’s what these first couple are for. I haven’t raced for a very long time so I just kind of knew that this was going to be rough to begin with. So, it’s all a part of the process.
Honestly, when I heard, you were heading to Thunder Valley, I did not even realize you were riding again let alone going pro national caliber speed. I knew you got hurt last year and that at one point they thought you could lose your arm.
Yeah, so I had a big crash last year in Texas, in March, the bike locked up in the middle of a really big jump. So, I came down and my shoulder dislocated so hard that it severed the artery in my arm. They had to do an eight-hour surgery on my arm, to save my arm. And I was placed into an induced coma for, I can’t honestly remember how long it was, but I think it was like a day and a half. And yeah, I [already] had a traumatic brain injury, so it’s been a tough recovery, but I didn’t come this far to quit. So, I had to give it a go here before I get ten years down the road and say, “Why didn’t I do it?”
So how long have you been back on the bike? Were you somewhere training over the winter or were you in Wisconsin in the cold?
So, I got hurt in March of 2021 and I didn’t start riding until March of 2022. I went down to Florida for maybe a couple of months and then actually had another bike malfunction and then got hurt again and came home. I had planned to come home for the summer and train around here because my dad owns a couple of race tracks up here.
![Biese earned a 27th place overall result at High Point.]()
Biese earned a 27th place overall result at High Point. Align Media ![]()
"I just need to clean some stuff up in general, I made a ton of mistakes that I don’t normally make." - Carter Biese Align Media
So, you have been on the bike for less than four months and then you go and qualify for a national?
Yeah, I mean obviously it wasn’t ideal, but I just didn’t want to do the amateur thing again. I just felt like it was a repetitive process, and I didn’t really feel like only doing a few races a year. And it was time to move up. I felt good on the bike, and obviously that little set back I had over Mother’s Day weekend [when the bike broke again] put a dampener on my plans. But I don’t think you’re ever really ready to go pro, so you just learn as you go.
That’s a good point. So, I saw that your brother was your mechanic at Thunder Valley. We know that he can ride just about anything, and also, he can grow some pretty crazy hair! But you had bike problems there, does that speak to his mechanical abilities or no?
No, he was good. It had nothing to do with him. Unfortunately, we just had a timing chain snap, and that’s nothing that was on him or anything. The bike was already prepped and ready to go, it only had a few hours on it. So, there was nothing he could do, and he did a great job trying to get the bike ready for the second moto. We actually missed the cut off by like 20 seconds to make the second moto. So, it wasn’t for lack of effort, it wasn’t for lack of trying. He did a great job.
That’s good. So, like you said, your dad owns and operates a couple of racetracks, so he wasn’t at your first two rounds because he was getting ready for the regional at Tigerton. Do you think it was harder on you to not have your dad with you, or harder on him to not have you at the regional helping out?
Oh, I am sure it was harder on him. Honestly once it gets to race day, I feel like I can kind of block it out. You get used to routine, you get used to having him there, but the day goes by so fast. The schedule goes by so fast at a national that you really don’t have that much time to think. But it will be good to have him back at the next few, and just having that comfort.
What’s your plans for the rest of the summer?
I am going to do most of the east coast rounds here. The only ones that are up in the air are Washougal and I probably won’t do Fox Raceway at the end of the year. But I will hit the rest of them and keep building each weekend.
Thanks for your time and good luck at the rest of the rounds, is there anyone you would like to thank?
The Functional Neurology Center, Fly Racing, Pure Kana, Scott, Pirelli, Rekluse, ODI, BDMX, FMF Powerband, Powersports 1, Rock River, Guts Racing, Notoil, Tamer, Sunstar, POD, Acerbis, and my family!
