Never Yielding | Seth Hammaker 6

When Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Seth Hammaker won his first professional race in Arlington, Texas, on March 13th, 2021, he most likely didn't anticipate it would take almost four years to get his second. That first win was only his third start, and he expected they would keep coming. Unfortunately, his career has been riddled with setbacks, starting as an amateur.

Seth Hammaker grew up in Bainbridge, Pennsylvania, and was not considered an amateur standout early on. He found motocross through his dad, who raced, but he wasn't able to travel to many of the amateur nationals when he was younger. Seth said, "We tried to do Loretta Lynn's every year because we thought it was the biggest. I was a good rider, but not at a caliber to win or even get top tens." Some years, Seth would qualify, and others, he wouldn't.

Seth told us that in 2014, he went to the Ranch in the Mini Sr. class and got 29th. That result lit a fire in him, and he started working hard over the next couple of years. Two years later, in 2016, he won a championship in the Super Mini 1 class and finished second in Super Mini 2 against riders such as Jo Shimoda, Levi Kitchen, and Carson Mumford.

Later that year, Seth picked up Team Green support after finishing ninth at the Monster Energy Cup in the Supermini class. He then got on a 250, saying, "Things started taking off." 2017 saw him get a second in 250 B and fourth in Schoolboy 2 at Loretta's. Later, he finished first overall with a 1-1 at Monster Energy Cup in the All-Stars class.

"It was one of the most important races in my amateur career. I look back at how many of the good guys were in that class that year, and it's amazing to have won. It helped me get a pro contract." – Seth Hammaker on the 2017 Monster Energy Cup All-Stars

Seth's amateur career continued to show he had an aptitude for success with podiums and top fives, but a shoulder injury in 2019 caused him to miss Loretta Lynns and ended the season. That injury was the first of many tribulations that would hinder his journey to becoming a champion. 

Seth was determined to come back strong in 2020, do Loretta's, and then make his pro debut in the last couple of AMA Pro Motocross Championship rounds. In March, he raced the Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross in Daytona, winning the 450 A class and finishing second in 250 A. His final amateur season was starting strong until he started not feeling well and was diagnosed with Epstein-Bar. The virus once again caused him to miss Loretta's and his intended pro debut outdoors for Pro Circuit Kawasaki.

Hammaker regrouped and made his Monster Energy Supercross 250 West debut in 2021 in Orlando, where he finished sixth. Two races later, he got his first pro win in Arlington, Texas. From there, he finished the season with two more podiums, five top fives, fourth overall in points, and was named Supercross Rookie of the Year.  

Hammaker kicked off the '21 Pro Motocross Championship at Fox Raceway with a 16th and subsequently missed the next six rounds with an illness. Unadilla saw his return, but one week later, he suffered a head injury, ending his rookie season. 

The following three seasons would see more of the same. Seth started 2022 with a second and third in 250 West and then endured a grade 3 ruptured spleen laceration and compression fractures in his back after a practice crash. Seth returned to racing outdoors and finished seventh in points that season. 

A wrist injury kept him out of Supercross in '23, and he finished outdoors in eleventh. 2024 started with a DNF in Detroit, and later hurt his shoulder in Foxborough. Tenth in points was the end result for Supercross, and he once again sustained a shoulder injury that forced him to sit out of the outdoors. 

It would be understandable if all of the injuries and issues Seth Hammaker dealt with in his first four seasons hurt his confidence and drive to start over. To continuously rebuild, never have a base from season to season, and be knocked down physically and mentally could easily be detrimental to a professional athlete. Instead, Seth stayed determined and was grateful for his opportunities.

"I've always had the mindset of knowing what I want and am capable of. I'm able to look past things and focus on the end goal. I've made the most of these situations. I love racing dirt bikes and don't want to do anything else. I wake up motivated every day," Hammaker said. His drive, resilience, and thankfulness have not gone unnoticed.

Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki team owner Mitch Payton has believed in Seth's abilities since he was an amateur. This was proven by Mitch resigning Seth to a two-year contract for 2023 and 2024 and again for 2025 and 2026 despite his struggles. 

When asked about Pro Circuit's continued support, he said, "I'm grateful Mitch and everyone at PC have all been in my corner. They never gave up on me. I believe I'm a champion contender indoors and out. I just have to stay healthy and never give up."

Long-time mechanic Jacob Martin went to work for Seth in 2018 and continued as his race mechanic throughout his pro career until 2025 when he decided to be his practice mechanic. Jacob mentioned he was first impressed with Seth when he saw him training at the Goat Farm without a mechanic. Seth would finish his motos and then come into the shop and swap an engine. He saw how hard he worked.

They sparked a friendship, and Jacob was presented with an opportunity to go to work for Seth. "You could see the work ethic, and he was down to Earth," said Jacob. Almost from day one, Jacob experienced the rollercoaster that would be Seth's career. Jacob explained he was to start working with him on a Monday, but he had already been at the Farm on Friday before, so he decided to go ahead and start. Seth rode Friday, and all was good. On Monday, what should have been Jacob's first day, Seth dislocated his shoulder (this would be the 2019 injury), and Jacob thought that would be it. Seth would be out for six months and have to find something else. 

Instead, Seth said he wanted to take care of him, not to worry, and they would keep going together. "He's loyal. He didn't have to do that," said Jacob. The loyalty runs both ways, and Jacob has been through all the ups and downs with Seth and mentioned how they helped each other keep going when things were rough. Jacob said when something goes wrong, they take a day, knowing it sucks, then have a mindset shift and decide what the plan is to get back. They both focus on the positivity. Like with family, this friendship bond has been critical in Seth's career in bouncing back from adversity and never yielding to the goal. 

Entering 2025, Seth knew a change was needed. He moved to the East Coast and started training at the Lawrence brother's facility, the 83 Compound. It may sound like a simple thing, but moving all the way across the country, hiring Michael Byrne as a trainer, paying to ride at the facility, and stepping out of the comfort zone he'd had for four years previous was an act of betting on himself. Seth said, "I'm not sure people really know what you have to put into it. It's an investment that you hope returns." 

According to Seth and Jacob, there's a renewed focus on technique and different aspects of riding, such as working on riding smarter and safer and looking at the big picture. Those lessons could be seen in Seth's second career win in Indianapolis recently, where he led from start to finish. He got out front early on an extremely technical track, took his time, rode smart, and showed his capabilities. 

"It was nice to get a win, especially at an East/West Showdown. It's been a while since I got one. It's been a solid season so far, and I'm looking forward to staying consistent." – Seth Hammaker on Indianapolis win

Whether Seth Hammaker stays consistent and finishes an entire season healthy remains to be seen. History is full of riders with talent and podium-level results who cannot stay healthy and reach their ultimate goals. One thing is for certain: the #56 will not yield or back down. One should expect Seth Hammaker to be a podium and championship threat going forward.